Chapter 214

“Comrade Song, please take care of yourself. We’ll definitely… find Comrade Mu,” Tian Daqing said, enunciating every word.

“Yes, I’ll also help apply for… martyr status for Comrade Mu,” Zhao Yuanshan added.

Given everything Mu Shi’an had done, he would certainly be granted the honor of martyrdom.

Although it could not bring him back, posthumously honoring him as a martyr would at least provide his family with additional compensation. It would also be some comfort to his spirit in the afterlife.

“I’m going to find him myself.” Song Nianchu’s voice was hoarse beyond recognition.

“Yourself? You want to go into the water?” Zhao Yuanshan asked, frowning.

“Yes.” Song Nianchu answered without the slightest hesitation.

“No, that’s impossible. It’s far too dangerous!” Zhao Yuanshan refused without even thinking.

“You won’t be able to stop me.” Song Nianchu’s tone was calm.

Zhao Yuanshan remembered Song Nianchu’s extraordinary strength. If she truly became determined, there really were very few people there who could hold her back.

“But Comrade Song, Comrade Mu is already… We can’t let anything happen to you, too.” Zhao Yuanshan tried to persuade her.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” Song Nianchu forcibly suppressed the emotions in her eyes.

“…”

In the end, Zhao Yuanshan still failed to talk Song Nianchu out of it and could only agree to let her go into the water.

However, he repeatedly checked the safety measures, even personally helping to secure them.

A rope was fastened around Song Nianchu’s waist. She stood solemnly at the edge of the bus.

“Comrade Song, don’t push yourself. If you run into any danger, tug on the rope three times, and we’ll pull you up immediately,” Zhao Yuanshan instructed her seriously.

“Mm.” Song Nianchu nodded.

Once everything was ready, she jumped into the water without the slightest hesitation.

The water was freezing. Even though she was fully clothed, the cold still seeped through her skin little by little, penetrating deep into her bones.

The farther downstream she went, the more piercing the cold became.

But Song Nianchu did not hesitate at all. She continued downward, searching everywhere for Mu Shi’an.

A professional searchlight was strapped to her head, helping her see underwater.

Before long, however, the air in her lungs had nearly run out. She had no choice but to tug on the rope three times and let the others pull her back up.

Song Nianchu broke through the surface and clung to the edge of the dam, gasping for breath.

“Comrade Song, did you find anything?” Zhao Yuanshan asked.

Song Nianchu shook her head. After resting for a moment, she plunged back into the water.

In the dim underwater darkness, memories of her time with Mu Shi’an surfaced in her mind.

From the stunning impression he had made on her the first time they met,

to the way they had journeyed together, growing to understand and cherish one another until their feelings became mutual.

Song Nianchu felt as though it was not only her lungs but also her heart that was being tightly clutched by an invisible hand. The pain was so intense that everything before her eyes began to look unreal.

At first, all she had wanted was to find a live-in husband, appease the original owner’s father, and stop him from appearing in her dreams every night to beat her.

But at some point, she had stopped doing it merely to fulfill that purpose.

She wanted to spend the rest of her life with Mu Shi’an. She had even begun seriously planning their future together.

Everything had been developing according to her plans. So why had something like this suddenly happened?

Before Song Nianchu came, Meng Yingying had never told her that Mu Shi’an would meet with an accident here.

Did that mean there was still a chance Mu Shi’an had survived?

Song Nianchu did not dare consider the possibility that Meng Yingying might not know everything that would happen afterward.

Right now, she needed only one thought to support her and keep her searching.

Song Nianchu surfaced and dove again and again.

Physical strength drained much faster in the water. Even though she was far stronger than an ordinary person, after making dozens of trips, her face gradually began to pale.

Her chest heaved violently, and even her hands, gripping the edge of the dam, were trembling badly.

“Comrade Song, you’ve reached your physical limit. You can’t continue. I’m pulling you up.” The moment Zhao Yuanshan saw her condition, he knew she had exhausted all her strength.

“I haven’t found him yet!” Song Nianchu refused to come up.

“We’ll continue sending people to search. Come up first.” Zhao Yuanshan could not possibly keep watching Song Nianchu go back into the water.

Mu Shi’an was already gone. His wife had to stay alive.

Ignoring Song Nianchu’s resistance, Zhao Yuanshan pulled her up by force.

“Captain Zhao, let go of me! I haven’t brought him up yet. The water is freezing down there. He can’t possibly endure it alone!” Song Nianchu was on the verge of breaking down. She struggled, trying to jump back into the water.

Terrified that she would hurt herself, Zhao Yuanshan struck the back of her neck with his palm.

Song Nianchu immediately lost consciousness.

“Captain Zhao!” Tian Daqing stared at him in astonishment.

“She’s too agitated right now. If I hadn’t knocked her out, she would have exhausted herself to death in that water,” Zhao Yuanshan said with a weary sigh.

Tian Daqing did not say anything more.

Zhao Yuanshan had the others take Song Nianchu back to camp to rest, while he remained at the scene to oversee the effort to recover Mu Shi’an’s body.

Song Nianchu felt as if she had slept for a very, very long time. She also dreamed that she and Mu Shi’an had lived out their entire lives together.

In the dream, they lived comfortably, surrounded by children and grandchildren. In the end, she was still the one who left first. Everything had been unimaginably beautiful, yet for some reason, her heart ached terribly.

They had been so happy—so why did she feel so sad?

Warm liquid slid from the corner of Song Nianchu’s eye. A large hand reached over gently and softly wiped away the tear.

Song Nianchu slowly opened her eyes. A familiar face appeared before her.

“Mu Shi’an…” Song Nianchu’s voice was unbearably hoarse.

“It’s me.” Mu Shi’an nodded.

Song Nianchu immediately sat up in bed and threw her arms around him. Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes, finally dripping onto Mu Shi’an’s neck.

Feeling that patch of warmth, Mu Shi’an’s body stiffened slightly.

“Mu Shi’an, I’m sorry…” Song Nianchu’s entire body trembled.

“Why are you apologizing to me?” Mu Shi’an asked, embracing her.

“If I hadn’t asked you to come, you wouldn’t have gotten into trouble.”

A faint shift passed through Mu Shi’an’s eyes.

“Mu Shi’an, the water was so cold. Were you in pain?”

“I’m really sorry. I never imagined anything would happen to you. I had already made arrangements for you. You should have left that very night.”

“Or maybe I shouldn’t have gone along with you. I should have knocked you unconscious then and had someone take you back.”

“Mu Shi’an, you used to be so obedient. Why did you refuse to listen this time?”

“Why ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌‍didn’t you listen?” The angrier Song Nianchu became, the harder she hit him, having pulled away from his embrace.

It was as though beating him could somehow ease the heart that was so close to being unable to breathe.