Happiness in the Later Half of Life

Could it be...

That it’s starting to play dirty?

Trying to kill me?

...

Probably not.

Lin Yu raised his hand and rubbed his chin, dismissing the thought.

If there really was such a thing as fate, and it wanted him dead, it wouldn’t need to go through all this trouble.

But then how could he explain what happened today?

Just as Lin Yu was lost in thought, a heavy weight suddenly pressed down on his shoulder.

He turned his head and saw Qing Mo leaning against him, her head tilted slightly.

Her behavior was unusual.

Her face was flushed, her breathing ragged, and her eyes barely open, as if she was on the verge of passing out.

"Hey?"

"Are you okay?"

Startled, Lin Yu wrapped his arms around Qing Mo’s slender waist to keep her from collapsing, shaking her lightly as he asked.

Under his shaking, Qing Mo seemed to regain some awareness.

Her nearly closed eyelids fluttered before slowly opening. She looked at Lin Yu’s face, her voice weak as she spoke:

"Lin Yu."

"I’m so cold."

"Cold?"

Lin Yu stared at the unnatural flush on Qing Mo’s face, and a thought struck him—

Was she running a fever?

The moment the possibility crossed his mind, he immediately reached out to touch her forehead.

The instant his fingers made contact, he felt a scorching heat.

That temperature was unmistakable—she was definitely feverish.

Damn it!

Lin Yu couldn’t hold back his frustration.

Here he was, running around, getting bitten, falling all over the place—

And yet, he was still standing, while she, who hadn’t done a thing, was about to collapse first?

How was that fair?

Just as resentment swelled in his chest, Lin Yu suddenly noticed Qing Mo’s outfit—

A standard, stylish black-and-blue British-style trench coat set.

The clothes were impeccable.

Perfectly matched, aesthetically pleasing, the tailored trench coat accentuated her figure, adding a touch of elegance to her already refined demeanor.

There was just one problem.

The outfit was too thin.

In the city, it might have been enough to keep her warm, but in this freezing wilderness where even the wind felt like icy blades, it was far from sufficient.

Add to that Qing Mo’s inability to move and warm herself up, and her clothes had probably long since been penetrated by the cold.

Turning his gaze to the snow-covered primeval forest around them, Lin Yu no longer had to struggle with indecision.

Qing Mo had already made the choice for him.

A high fever like this couldn’t be ignored.

The only path left was to keep moving forward along the base of the slope.

But as he stared at the untouched snow ahead, Lin Yu hesitated again.

Would fate have arranged for the fourth heroine to be waiting for him up ahead?

If his guess was wrong, wouldn’t that mean certain death?

After a moment of thought,

Lin Yu made up his mind—he would support Qing Mo and retrace their steps.

If everything that happened today was part of fate’s grand design, then no matter which direction he chose, he should be able to survive.

But if today’s events were just a coincidence,

Then he had to return to the bottom of the slope where the car had crashed.

The wreckage was there—only by waiting there would he have a better chance of being rescued!

...

In the biting wind, Lin Yu felt his body growing heavier with each step.

The weight wasn’t just from hunger, exhaustion, or blood loss.

There was also Qing Mo—literally weighing him down.

Her condition was worsening. Earlier, she could still manage to walk with his support, but now she had almost completely lost the ability to move.

Lin Yu estimated that if he let go of Qing Mo's arm, she would collapse onto the ground right away.

After some thought, Lin Yu decided that instead of laboriously supporting Qing Mo, it would be better to just carry her on his back.

He carefully put Qing Mo down, adjusted his posture, and then hoisted Qing Mo onto his back before continuing in the direction where the car had crashed.

Qing Mo wasn't heavy.

Although a fleeting glimpse the previous night had shown Lin Yu how curvaceous she was.

It still came as a surprise to him.

She wasn't heavy at all.

At least, carrying her on his back wasn't too bad.

The problem was that Lin Yu was running out of strength.

He could feel the exhaustion seeping through his body. Every now and then, a strong gust of cold wind would blow, and Lin Yu would have to stop in his tracks to keep from being blown over.

He carried Qing Mo on his back like this for who knew how long.

As he repeated the motion of pulling his foot out of the thick snow, Lin Yu didn't manage to pull his toe out completely.

Just like that.

At his limit, he was no match for the snow and tripped.

Falling onto the snow, Lin Yu lifted his face out of the snow and propped it up with the hood of his jacket. He decided to take a little rest.

He was really out of energy.

He'd rest for a bit and then continue on.

Qing Mo lay heavily on his back, and Lin Yu didn't move her. In fact, having her on his back made him feel a bit warmer.

Before the fatigue had subsided, drowsiness set in.

Lying in the snow, Lin Yu gradually stopped feeling so cold.

His eyelids seemed to have a mind of their own.

Like two magnets, they were drawn to each other.

His head was heavy and muddled, but the previous pain and discomfort had disappeared.

It wasn't so bad anymore.

Lin Yu thought that lying like this wasn't half - bad.

It wasn't exactly comfortable.

But at least it wasn't painful.

Bit by bit, his frost - covered eyelashes got closer and closer, and Lin Yu's eyes were almost completely shut...

...

"Go on without me,"

"Don't worry about me,"

a weak voice came from behind. It was softer than the howling wind, but the meaning behind the words was like the toll of a great bell, jolting Lin Yu awake in an instant.

Realizing how close he'd come to death, Lin Yu broke out in a cold sweat. But not wanting to worry Qing Mo behind him, he put on a relaxed look and asked,

"Huh?"

"Why wouldn't I worry about you?"

"I'm not saying I can't carry you. I'm just a bit tired and want to take a little break."

As he spoke,

Lin Yu trembled his arms and forced himself to get up. Once again, he stood up and carried Qing Mo on his back.

"With me around, you won't be able to escape,"

Qing Mo's voice was so weak that it was even softer than the sound of the wind.

Thankfully, Qing Mo's mouth was right next to Lin Yu's ear, so he could hear every word she said.

"Don't be silly,"

"I can still get out of here with you on my back,"

"Then I'll be your savior,"

"According to the norm,"

"you'll reward me with more money than I could ever spend in my lifetime,"

"How could I leave you behind?"

"What I'm carrying on my back isn't just Qing Mo,"

"It's my happiness for the rest of my life!"