"I promise you."
Out of concern for Meng Jingwei, Qing Muye reluctantly agreed.
As long as she could hold on and swim out, he would agree to anything she said.
"I believe you are a person of your word. Because of the bet you made with me, I will definitely swim out!" she said, patting her chest proudly and confidently.
"Mmm, I believe you."
Qing Muye nodded slightly and added, "You take the phone and lead the way, I'll follow behind you."
"No problem."
After Meng Jingwei agreed, she stood in place and did a few warm-up exercises.
Her master had taught her many things when she was young, and she had completed them all well.
Especially after watching Jet Li's movie "My Father is a Hero" as a child, it inspired her to practice holding her breath, and she had been learning with her master.
However, her usual limit for holding her breath was five minutes.
For a swimming distance of two hundred meters, as long as she held on for a while, it should be fine.
Meng Jingwei was also gambling.
She knew that Qing Muye was seriously injured, and with the dampness inside the cave, the walls were particularly slippery, requiring considerable arm strength and tools for climbing.
Qing Muye had no tools, was wearing leather shoes, had a high fever, and his palm was injured.
Considering any of these factors, Meng Jingwei was not at ease.
Another point was, with his current high fever, could he successfully swim out?
"Qing Muye, if we both get out safely, we'll be brothers who have been through thick and thin together from now on. It's impossible to be in a relationship with a scumbag like you, but being brothers is still fine."
Meng Jingwei stretched her legs and moved her joints.
Being called a scumbag time and again, although Qing Muye resisted at first, after being called it so often, he actually... got used to it.
He slightly turned his head, looking at the woman beside him, his deep eyes, as vast as the ocean, held a faint smile, "Whatever you say."
Two minutes later, the two, having completed their warm-ups, stood by the water. Meng Jingwei, holding her phone, stood at the edge of the water and took a deep breath.
"Let's go."
With two simple words, Meng Jingwei dove directly into the water.
Seeing her leave, Qing Muye waited for thirty seconds before jumping into the water.
The water of the underground river was very cold.
Meng Jingwei shivered involuntarily when she dove in, but she gritted her teeth and persisted in swimming outwards.
The distance of five minutes felt incredibly long.
Meng Jingwei adjusted her state, moving at a steady pace, trying to conserve her energy.
However, after not long, Qing Muye caught up with her, following behind her and protecting her.
Meng Jingwei silently calculated the time in her heart, counting down.
As four minutes had passed, she was still energetic and could hold on.
She even felt very good, believing she could last another two minutes. It was a bit strenuous, but definitely manageable.
However, just as Meng Jingwei was immersed in her joy, believing she was about to succeed, a sudden, sharp pain struck her head.
Just like in the underground palace, the sudden, intense pain felt as if the nerves in her brain were being ripped out.
She endured the pain with all her might, struggling to swim forward.
Hold on, hold on!
Meng Jingwei, you can't die here. Think of your adoptive parents at home, think of the life path you haven't yet completed...
She encouraged herself in her heart.
Because she was holding the flashlight, Qing Muye could see her every move through the light.
Although Meng Jingwei was still swimming forward, her speed had noticeably decreased.
Qing Muye sensed something was wrong, immediately swam to Meng Jingwei's side, grabbed her waist, and held her as they moved forward.
"Mmm... mmm..."
Unable to bear the intense pain that struck her head, Meng Jingwei finally couldn't help but inhale, and a stream of water rushed into her nostrils and mouth. With a gurgling sound, she choked on water.
Seeing this, Qing Muye's heart jolted. He embraced her and, without thinking, kissed her lips to give her air.
At that moment, the flow of water, the passage of time, seemed to freeze.
The man looked at the struggling woman in his arms, his lips pressed against hers, his gaze fixed on her, his determined eyes conveying a message: "Ah Wei, don't struggle, I will take you out."
Taking a deep breath, Meng Jingwei felt a sense of relief. Although her head was throbbing, the pain was so intense it could instantly shatter one's will, but seeing Qing Muye's determined gaze, Meng Jingwei held on.
Qing Muye dared not delay for a moment, pulling Meng Jingwei, he swam towards the exit.
However, Meng Jingwei couldn't hold on for much longer. The immense pain in her head made her suffer immensely, causing her body to spasm.
"Gurgle, gurgle..."
She was gulping water, and her body began to twitch.
Seeing her in this state, Qing Muye felt an overwhelming heartache, but he gritted his teeth and swam outwards.
The distance was getting closer, and he could already see the light outside, like the dawn of hope.
Qing Muye's strength was also reaching its limit, but the thought of Meng Jingwei's imminent death kept echoing in his mind.
The man swam forward as if possessed, swimming...
Splash—
Finally, they reached the destination.
Qing Muye shot out of the water, sending splashes everywhere.
He took a long breath, immediately pulling Meng Jingwei and swimming to the shore.
Only after pulling Meng Jingwei out of the water and laying her flat on the ground did Qing Muye see her abdomen was distended, having swallowed a lot of water.
Seeing her pale face and motionless state, Qing Muye's heart leaped into his throat.
The sense of tension and fear surged into his mind, making Qing Muye feel an unprecedented sense of panic and unease.
He patted Meng Jingwei's face, "Ah Wei? Wake up, you can't fall asleep!"
As Qing Muye called out, he began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation, pressing hard on her chest with extremely professional rescue techniques.
One, two, three...
He pressed for a full minute, but the young woman only coughed up some water and did not wake up at all.
Qing Muye's hands, soaked in river water and pressed forcefully, caused the wound on the thenar eminence to tear open, bleeding again.
Blood flowed down Meng Jingwei's smooth skin, carrying a hint of ghastliness.
"Ah Wei? Can you hear me? Wake up! Wake up!"
Time ticked by, and Qing Muye had been pressing for two minutes, yet Meng Jingwei showed no sign of waking up.
His heart tightened, and the sound of his calling Meng Jingwei began to tremble, as if his throat were being squeezed, his heart aching.
It felt as if something important was being extracted from her body, gradually fading away.
Qing Muye grew more anxious, continuing CPR, and said to Meng Jingwei, "Don't you want to get rich? Haven't you earned enough money? Didn't you want to be brothers with me? If you die, how can you be brothers with me?"
The man, who was usually calm in the face of adversity, finally broke down at this moment.
He kept calling out to Meng Jingwei, his hands pressing with increasing force. His eyes were bloodshot, and he looked somewhat terrifying.
Qing Muye continued to press without stopping, looking at Meng Jingwei's motionless body, the thought of her imminent death swirling in his mind...