Just You Wait, I'm Gonna Beat You to Death

The chirping of crickets reached his ears as Ye Feng, who had been unconscious, gradually opened his eyes. The absolute darkness, devoid of any light, made it impossible for him to discern his surroundings. In his subconscious, he even believed he had already died from excessive blood loss.

"Where... where is this? Why can't I see anything? Why do I hear insects? Am I... in the wilderness? Well, I never expected to survive... How unbelievable."

A series of events had left Ye Feng's mind foggy, and for now, he didn’t want to think about anything. All he desired was rest—both his mind and body were utterly exhausted.

"Cough... cough—"

A dry, raspy sound escaped his lips as he struggled to speak.

"Water... water..."

Before he could finish, the sound of light footsteps reached his ears. Before he could even open his eyes to see who was beside him, the rim of a ceramic bowl touched his lips, and cool water moistened his parched mouth.

Sensing the water, Ye Feng didn’t hesitate, drinking it in small, careful sips. Once he had drained the bowl, a soft cloth gently dabbed at the corners of his mouth.

Ye Feng forced his eyes open slightly, intending to thank the kind soul who had helped him, but his vision remained blurred. All he could make out was a faint silhouette standing beside him.

"Th... thank you... I... I'm so tired..."

His words came out fragmented, as if speaking had drained the last of his strength. Before he could get a clear look at the figure, darkness swallowed him once more.

"......"

After a moment of silence, the figure standing by his bed extended a slender, pale finger and lightly poked his cheek. Only after confirming he was truly asleep did they let out a relieved sigh.

"Honestly... you scared me half to death..."

Had Ye Feng been awake, he would have instantly recognized the voice—it belonged to none other than Shen Mengli.

"Looks like feeding him that round pill from his hand was the right call. At least he won’t suffer any lasting effects."

A faint scratching sound followed as a tiny flame flickered to life, illuminating Shen Mengli’s face—her crimson eyes standing out the most in the dim light.

Carefully shielding the fragile flame, she moved instinctively toward the wooden table and lit the candle resting there. The room brightened slightly as the candle’s glow chased away the shadows.

"There we go~"

Placing the matchstick down, Shen Mengli spoke in a lighthearted tone, her voice betraying her relief.

Once the room was properly lit, she returned to Ye Feng’s side and sat down. Gently, she placed his cold hand against her warm cheek.

"You really gave me a fright, Xiao Feng... Just wait till you wake up—I’ll make sure you regret it!"

Pouting in mock anger, she glared at his unconscious form, her mind drifting back to the events of the previous night...

"Still nothing..."

Staring at the unchanging river, Shen Mengli lowered her gaze in disappointment. Several days had passed since she’d settled in this place, yet the visions that once haunted her mind had completely vanished.

Why hadn’t anything happened? Had the visions malfunctioned, or had something altered their course? But... only I knew about them! Unless... the ability to see them had transferred to someone else? No... I refuse to accept that! Three more days—if nothing changes by then, I’ll go find Xiao Feng myself! I’ll tell him my legs have healed, that I can finally pursue him like any normal person!

As dusk settled, she turned to leave, just as she always did. But the moment she took a step toward the forest, a loud splash erupted from the riverbank.

"?!"

Startled, Shen Mengli spun around. The moment her eyes landed on the figure in the water, her pupils constricted in horror. Without a second thought for her long skirt, she sprinted toward the river—because the person struggling in the water was none other than Ye Feng, the one she had longed for.

After dragging him ashore with all her strength, exhaustion weighed heavily on her. But when she saw the wounds covering his body, the blood staining his clothes, her composure shattered. No matter how much she shook him, he remained unresponsive. Pressing her ear to his chest, she nearly fainted from despair.

"H-How could this happen?! Why is Xiao Feng like this? No... don’t scare me like this! I waited so long for you... why did it have to end like this? Please, Xiao Feng... please, just open your eyes and look at me!"

As tears streamed down her face, her trembling hand brushed against his palm—only to recoil from the sharp object pressing into it. Curious, she looked down and realized Ye Feng’s fingers were clenched tightly around something. Wiping her tear-streaked face, she pried at his fingers with all her might.

After an exhausting struggle, she finally forced his hand open. Resting in his palm was a small, round pill—unremarkable in color and appearance. Just as confusion set in, a memory surfaced: back when she was still disabled, Ye Feng had once fed her a medicinal pill... one that looked eerily similar to this.

Shen Mengli carefully picked up the pill, inspecting it closely—though, unsurprisingly, she found nothing unusual. Glancing back at Ye Feng’s lifeless body, she gritted her teeth and slipped the pill into his mouth.

Then, she clasped his cold, stiff hand tightly. Even though his icy skin screamed that he was already gone, she refused to look away.

"Xiao Feng... you promised you’d never leave me. Don’t break your word now... I’ve lost everything else. I can’t lose you too!"

Just as despair threatened to consume her, the impossible happened.

Ye Feng’s wounds began healing—right before her eyes. Even the bullet embedded in his chest was pushed out as his flesh knitted itself back together.