"Don't be afraid." Those calm eyes gazed at her gently. "I swear I'll get you out of here!"
I swear, I'll get you out of here!
"Eli Crane! You liar!" Ivy Shen jumped into the darkness, shrieking at the void below. Huge tears streamed uncontrollably down her pale cheeks. "You liar! I'm not letting this go! I won't let this go!"
Ivy Shen gripped the dagger tightly, eyes flashing with cold, vicious resolve. "I will get you out of this valley—no matter what!"
Like a mantra, Ivy chanted to herself over and over, tears blurring her vision: "Even if it's your corpse, I'll take you out—I'll take you out!"
The crocodile spotted Ivy—fresh prey—and lunged, jaws wide. Ivy narrowed her eyes, then, in a flash, flipped onto its back and stabbed it wildly with her dagger.
"Eli Crane, Eli Crane, where are you?!" Ivy screamed, voice ragged and broken, slashing frantically with her dagger. The giant crocodile, wounded and furious, whipped its tail and slammed her hard in the back, sending her flying.
Rolling over, Ivy landed half-kneeling, propped up by her knees. Her eyes were bloodshot, her back torn open by the crocodile's tail—but she felt no pain, only the terror of losing him.
The wounded crocodile glared, even fiercer now, jaws snapping as it charged her like lightning.
A merciless glint flashed in Ivy's ice-cold eyes. She gripped her dagger and charged without hesitation.
The man-versus-beast battle erupted again.
"I'll make you eat him! I'll make you eat him!" The heavy crocodile tail whipped through the air and slammed into Ivy Shen's back with a loud thud, but she was like an ice statue—totally unfazed. She gripped her dagger and stabbed viciously at its eye, again and again.
The crocodile kept thrashing its heavy tail, trying to throw off its rider, but Ivy clung tight, as if she were born to ride it.
"I'll make you eat him! I'll make you eat him!!" Ivy's shoes had long since vanished in her desperate escape. Now, wrestling the crocodile, her bare feet were covered in bloody blisters—but she stubbornly fought on.
After a long struggle—
The giant crocodile had never met such a stubborn enemy. With its eyes gouged out and body riddled with holes, it finally left this world for good.
Seeing this, Ivy's legs gave out and she stumbled off its back. She barely made a step before collapsing, blood pouring from her mouth. Her whole body was drenched in stinking gore, hair wild, her tattered robe hanging in shreds.
"Eli Crane..." Her voice was low, full of panic and fear.
"Eli Crane, where are you? Where are you?" No time to catch her breath—she crawled across the ground, searching for Eli. But the pitch-black cave held no trace of him, and every step left a bloody smear from her blistered feet.
"Eli Crane, where are you? Say something!" Tears spilled over again as Ivy's heart seized with dread. Had the giant crocodile already eaten him? Did she come down too late?!
At that thought, she crawled back to the crocodile's corpse, grabbed her dagger, and started slicing open its belly. "Eli Crane, come out! Are you in there?" Her voice was thick with sobs, hands shaking. Even if you're dead, I'm taking your body back!
"Where are you? Where the heck are you?" She yanked out intestines, tugged at the heart, rummaged through the stinking guts—only to find huge black rats, nothing of Eli.
Seeing this, Ivy clutched her head and collapsed to her knees, covered in reeking blood and filth. Mouth open, she let out a wailing, hopeless scream: "Ahhh!" Her voice grew shrill with panic and despair.
What now? Eli Crane, are you really gone—nothing left, not even a body?!
How could you leave me? Didn't you say you'd get me out of here?
You liar—you're a liar!
"Miss Ling!" A trembling voice suddenly rang out in the darkness, packed with shock and aching tenderness.
Ivy froze as if struck by lightning, stumbling to her feet. Everything was pitch-black—she couldn't see a thing.
"Eli Crane..." Ivy's voice was tiny. She peered around like a blind person, whispering, terrified it was just a hallucination. "Is that you? Where are you?"
"Miss Ling!" Suddenly, a warm arm pulled Ivy into a tight embrace. The trembling shoulders were strangely cold, his strong back shivering. That familiar herbal scent—chuanbei—slowly wrapped around her, holding her close.
"Eli Crane?" Ivy went rigid, eyes wide, hands unsure where to go. Tentatively, she reached out with her bloodied hands and hugged him tight, afraid he'd vanish if she let go.
"You're Eli Crane, aren't you?" Ivy whispered, barely daring to hope, afraid he was just a dream that would vanish.
"It's me—it's really me. I'm here, I'm alive!" Eli's choked voice rang in her ear. He cupped Ivy's face with aching tenderness, wiping away the grime so she could see him clearly.
Pale, thin cheeks, soft lips, a high nose, deep-set eyes—it was Eli Crane. It was really him.
At last, Ivy's tears began to flow. A huge smile broke across her messy face—beautiful in a wild, ruined way. She bit her lip, nose twitching, and choked out, "I thought you were dead. I thought it ate you. I thought I was all alone. I thought..."
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"Dummy." Eli's eyes went red. Suddenly, he pressed Ivy's head hard against his chest. "I'm alive. Listen—it's still beating. I'm still here."
Tears poured down. Ivy reached out with her bloody, filthy hands and hugged his waist tight, sobbing out loud.
This seemingly delicate girl had shocked him to his core.
From the moment she woke up, from the moment she brought endless laughter, from the moment she refused to leave him in the mausoleum—he knew there was no escape.
Yet nothing compared to what he saw at the bottom of the monster pit.
When he fell, he landed on a tiny ledge. Waking from unconsciousness, he looked down and saw the blood-soaked, sobbing girl below—and felt a pain in his heart he'd never known before: shock, awe, heartbreak, and, strangely, joy.
Eli closed his eyes and took a deep breath, voice gentle and warm as the sea: "Your arrival gave me hope to live again."
"Eli Crane..." Ivy looked up at this calm, gentle man, took a deep breath, and said, "You've always asked why I want to take you out of the valley, right?"
"Huh?"
"Because I like you. I liked you from the very first moment I saw you. That's why I want to take you out of the valley—I want to see the world with you." After all this, Ivy didn't plan to hide anything anymore.
"Okay!" Eli nodded without hesitation.
"You agreed?" Instantly, Ivy felt as if all her pain had faded away.
"As long as you're by my side, anywhere is fine!"
Ivy smiled softly, but the next second, her legs gave out and she collapsed, unconscious.
Eli held her, heart aching. He'd thought he could take everything lightly, that nothing mattered—but her arrival changed everything. Now he knew pain, heartbreak, and the urge to sacrifice his own legs rather than let her go.
He gently touched the person in his arms, lifting her hand to place it on his neck—only to be shocked all over again.
Her once delicate, fair hands were now mangled and bloody. He knew she'd clung to him through the blizzard, probably frostbitten then—and after fighting the monster, her hands were now unrecognizable.
His heart twisted yet again. Looking at the sleeping girl, Eli's brows furrowed. She was so pale, so thin, it seemed a breeze could blow her away. "From now on, I'll never let you get hurt again. I promise!" His voice was full of fierce determination.