Chapter 13: Survive

Ye Sheng was one step away from the ship, which should’ve filled him with joy.
But the dmn heavens decided to throw a dragon into the mix.

The moment Ye Sheng turned back, his eyes widened in sheer terror.

Behind Aki Shutoku, he saw a massive shadow.
Golden eyes blazed in the darkness, charging toward them with terrifying speed.

“Dragon!?”

Ye Sheng shouted, then, without thinking, grabbed Aki’s hand and threw her forward.
She broke the water’s surface first.

The dragon’s attack was swift and ferocious.
It lurked in the dark, waiting for the moment Ye Sheng and Aki were most vulnerable before striking.
Its speed was like lightning in the shadows.
Thankfully, after pushing Aki out, Ye Sheng curled his body tightly, using the black case on his back to block the dragon’s first assault.

The dragon seemed cautious, avoiding biting the black case.
Instead, it swung its tail, shattering Ye Sheng’s clothes and oxygen tank.
He was flung out of the water, and the black case vanished somewhere in the chaos.

But Aki was in danger.
The dragon’s target wasn’t Ye Sheng—it was the bronze canister behind her.

Just as the dragon lunged to bite Aki, a folding knife slashed through the air.

Could a folding knife stop a beast this massive?
Hardly.
To a dragon, that knife was like a tiny nail clipper—useless for slaying.

But it depended on who wielded it!

“Principal!”

Aki looked with surprise at the face before her, sharp as a Damascus blade, weathered yet fierce, as if preserved from World War II.

The principal wasn’t supposed to be on this mission.
Yet here he was, miraculously.

In the library’s control room, the air was cold and silent.
Breaths were held, cautious and faint.

After an unknown time, the large screen flickered to life.
An old man’s face appeared.

Bai Ci studied him.
He was handsome—too handsome for an old man.
Time had carved deep lines into his face, each one whispering countless stories.

His clothes were tattered, as if he’d just fought a battle.
But beyond the clothes, he bore no visible wounds.

Silver-white hair and a beard, damp from rain, glistened.
His gray eyes scanned the control room, pausing briefly on Bai Ci before leveling out.
It felt inappropriate, but Bai Ci couldn’t help thinking he resembled the muscular white-haired guy from a KFC ad.

“Agents Ye Sheng and Aki Shutoku have safely returned to the Monyach,” the principal said with a smile.
“No casualties.
Thanks to everyone’s efforts!”

The control room erupted.
Arms shot into the air, cheers echoing.
Professors hugged each other in excitement.
Students high-fived, some tossing mousepads skyward.
No one stopped them.
Lionheart Society members crowded around Chu Zihang.
Student Union members rallied around Caesar.
The room felt like a wild dance party.

Bai Ci watched, biting her lip, then stepped over to stand beside Lu Mingfei.

Lu Mingfei suddenly lit up with joy.
But before he could bask in it, Qilan returned, holding a bouquet of flowers.
He shook Lu Mingfei’s hand vigorously, then pulled him into a bear hug.

‘Dmn, I appreciate the flowers, but could you pick a better time?!’

The control room quieted for a moment.
Professors began clapping.
Lionheart and Student Union elites glanced at their leaders.
Caesar and Chu Zihang joined in, clapping.
Soon, everyone was applauding.
Lu Mingfei was swarmed, looking oddly popular.

Bai Ci, caught in the crowd, felt uncomfortable with the jostling.
She edged closer to Lu Mingfei.
People kept coming, shaking his hand one after another.
Bai Ci glanced at him, shook his hand too, then turned to leave for her games.

“Wait, Bai Ci.”

She turned back, confused why the principal was calling her.

“Congratulations.
You’ve passed the 3E exam.
Your score is the highest in a decade, second only to Lu Mingfei’s.
Perhaps our initial assessment was wrong.
You might be an S-rank, just like him.”

“Me… S-rank?”
Bai Ci froze.
How had she suddenly leveled up?

At that moment, Nono’s bubble popped loudly.

Anghot pressed a button, cutting the signal to Cassell College.
He exhaled, relieved.
If not for handling Bai Ci’s new “S-rank” status, he might not have come so soon.
That dragon—a minor sub-species—was no match for the Monyach, but its speed in water outpaced his.
He couldn’t slay it then and there, which was a pity.

He glanced curiously at Ye Sheng, lying half-dead on a stretcher.
His face was ghostly pale from blood loss, like a corpse.
A massive wound gaped on his chest, flesh torn, diving suit shredded.

“Aki…”
Ye Sheng’s voice was faint, barely audible, each word punctuated by violent coughs.
His chest wound tore open again, oozing blood.

“I’m here!
I’m here!
Don’t talk!”
Aki clutched his hand, tears streaming.
“The doctor’s coming.
You’ll be fine!”

Her fear was overwhelming, tears falling harder than the storm outside.
She could feel Ye Sheng’s body growing colder, his pulse fading, weaker and weaker…

Ye Sheng’s hand twitched faintly.
“There’s something… I’ve always wanted to tell you…”

Anghot frowned.
He remembered Ye Sheng’s injuries weren’t severe.
How was he this bad now?

The chest wound came from grazing the Monyach on ascent—minor scrapes at most.
Why did he look like he was dying?

“Don’t talk, Ye Sheng!
Save your strength.
You’ll be okay!”
Aki gripped his hand, sobbing.
“Rescue is almost here.
Hold on!”

Her mind was a mess, panic consuming her.

She remembered graduation.
Aki had casually asked Ye Sheng where he’d go after.
He’d just smiled, then chose Professor Mans’ special team.
When she heard his choice, Aki nodded, saying, “Special team, huh?
That’s a dangerous place.
No one’s gonna care if you die.”
Then she secretly added the special team to her own application…

What the h*ll.
He was so annoying—why did she want to be with him?

Memories swirled like snowflakes in winter, scattering white across her mind.
Each flake carried Ye Sheng’s infuriatingly bright smile.
They flooded her thoughts, countless Ye Shengs grinning at her.
All her memories condensed into one plea: “Ye Sheng, don’t die…”

Her voice was hoarse, tears streaming like melting snow forming a river.

She must look ugly now, right?
Who looks good crying like this?

She’d never cried in front of Ye Sheng before, scared of seeming weak, scared he’d mock her.
But now, she couldn’t hide it.

Her sadness overflowed.

Aki was a fool.
She’d worked twice as hard as anyone to stay on Ye Sheng’s team.
She’d always been strong in front of him, refusing to be underestimated.
She wanted to prove to him—and everyone—that Aki Shutoku was Ye Sheng’s best partner.

But now, her strength shattered completely.

As long as Ye Sheng was by her side, even if they faced a Dragon King under the Three Gorges Dam, she wouldn’t fear.
But if he was gone…

She couldn’t imagine it.
She didn’t dare.

“There’s something… I’m afraid if I don’t say it now, I’ll never get the chance…”
Ye Sheng’s voice was barely a whisper.

“Aki, I’ve always liked you.”

“I like you too!
Ye Sheng, don’t talk anymore!
I like you too!”

Aki spoke fast, no hesitation, as if afraid he’d fade before hearing her.

“I like you…”

She’d never been this open, never expressed her feelings so clearly.

How could she not like Ye Sheng?
They’d spent their entire college years together.
They’d hugged countless times.
She’d borne every sadness alone, but every joy, she wanted to share with him.

Aki hated her own cowardice.
Why hadn’t she confessed sooner?
Why pretend she didn’t care?
Why not speak her heart earlier?

If she had, would they have more beautiful memories?

“Ye Sheng, I like you.
Please, please don’t die!”

“Really?”
Ye Sheng’s eyes brightened slightly.
“Can you say it again?
That one sentence—I want to hear it again.”

“I like you!
I like you!”

“Ye Sheng, I like you, so please, don’t die!”

Aki repeated it desperately, her voice nearly drowning out the storm raging over the Yangtze.

Ye Sheng suddenly laughed, coughing as he did, his crooked grin a bit infuriating.

“You’re impossible.”

Then he grabbed a nearby towel, wiped the blood off his body, and stood up.

“Guess I’ll have to live for you, then.”

Anghot, now in a fresh suit, lit a cigar and watched with amusement.
Aki was fuming, while Ye Sheng wore a smug grin.
Anghot had known Ye Sheng was fine—the half-dead act was just the side effect of [Yanling: Snake].

“You’re such an idiot, Aki!
You couldn’t even tell!”

“I was worried about you!”
Aki grabbed his diving suit, shouting.
“I was so worried, and you tricked me!”

Seeing her anger, Ye Sheng chuckled again.

“But… I like it.”

“What?”
Aki froze.

“I like it.
I like you.
Even if you’re an idiot, I like you.”

“Oh…”
Aki ducked her head, lost in thought.

“And you?”
Ye Sheng teased.

“Oh… I, um, like…”
Aki stammered, her face red as a ripe tomato.