Entertainment: A song that brought his deceased wife back to life.

Just as Jiang Yue was about to let out a sigh of relief, a chill suddenly ran down her spine.

The chill wasn't from the snow, nor from the wind.

It was because of those few dog barks.

That big black dog was Old Zhang's darling; he was raised on raw meat and was very fierce.

This beast has a peculiar habit: he can't resist the smell of blood.

Jiang Yue looked down at her hands.

When I smashed that broken iron plate, the back of my hand was cut, and blood is dripping down my fingertips.

In this freezing cold, that little bit of warmth was the best navigation tool for that dog.

"run."

Jiang Yue tugged at Xu Qing, who was still in a daze.

Xu Qing's legs were already numb from the cold, and when she was pulled like that, she fell flat on her face on the snow.

Jiang Yue didn't waste any words, and bent down to put his arm around her neck.

"Stop playing dead, move now."

The two had barely taken two steps when the dark figure darted out from the withered grass.

The dog was a size larger than a typical mongrel, with shiny black fur, baring its teeth, and making a growling sound in its throat.

It didn't look in Lao Zhang's direction; its green eyes were fixed on Jiang Yue's hand.

Or rather, staring at the blood on it.

Old Zhang's flashlight beam was still waving wildly in the distance, and he was still cursing and shouting, "Who's there?"

If Old Zhang catches us, all the trouble we went through that night will have been for nothing, and we might even end up being locked in that dark room full of rats.

Jiang Yue pushed Xu Qing behind her.

The movement was a bit rough, and Xu Qing sat down hard in the snow.

"Lie still and don't move."

Jiang Yue gripped the broken steel bar tightly in her hand.

The steel bar still had dirt left from hitting the second thunder and rust from hitting the iron plate.

The black dog didn't give anyone time to react.

It pushed off with its hind legs and pounced straight at you.

This beast is very clever; instead of biting her leg, it opened its mouth and went straight for Jiang Yue's bleeding wrist.

Jiang Yue reacted quickly.

The experience she gained from fighting in the orphanage was not just for show.

She didn't dodge.

The snow is too slippery; if you try to hide, you're just asking to be bitten on the neck.

She lowered her body and swung the steel bar in her hand upwards in a wide arc.

A muffled "bang".

The stick missed the dog's head and hit its shoulder instead.

The black dog let out a miserable howl, its body swayed in mid-air, and when it landed, its claws tore several holes in the coat.

But this brought out the beast's ferocity.

It landed, flipped over, and without even pausing, turned around and took a bite.

That bite was solid and firm.

Jiang Yue felt a heat on her thigh.

Then comes the pain of having your skin pierced by something sharp.

The dog's teeth pierced right through the tattered cotton pants and embedded themselves in the flesh.

"Hold."

Jiang Yue cursed.

The pain caused sweat to instantly pour down her forehead, mixing with the snow water from earlier.

Xu Qing, who was behind him, tried to get up to help.

Jiang Yue didn't even turn her head, and shouted.

"Don't come any closer!"

Her eyes reddened at this moment.

If she, Jiang Yue, couldn't even handle a dog after surviving in this wretched place for so long, then she would have wasted the last few years of her life.

She didn't pry open the dog's mouth.

That's the dumbest way; if you just reach out, it'll be useless.

Jiang Yue raised the steel bar in her hand and stabbed it hard into the black dog's most vulnerable nose.

Quick, accurate, ruthless.

She used all her strength this time.

The black dog's nose took a heavy hit; only it knows how painful it felt.

It let out a howl and released its grip.

It tucked its tail between its legs and took several steps back, shaking its head vigorously, with snot and tears streaming down its face.

This beast is a bully who preys on the weak and fears the strong.

It realized that this crazy girl in front of it was even more reckless than it.

Jiang Yue didn't pursue it either.

Blood was gushing from her leg; it really hurt, and every movement felt like someone was stabbing her flesh with a knife.

The footsteps in the distance were getting closer.

Old Zhang's hoarse voice was already very clear to me.

"Who's there? What are you doing there?"

Jiang Yue gritted her teeth, turned around, and lifted Xu Qing out of the snowdrift.

"Walk."

She supported Xu Qing, and the two of them helped each other up like two lame ducks.

We can't take the main road now.

Jiang Yue led Xu Qing to crawl through the overgrown weeds that were knee-deep.

The snow is deep.

One step deep, one step shallow.

Jiang Yue's legs were stained red with blood, which had soaked through a large patch of her cotton pants. But it was dark, so she couldn't see clearly. She could only feel that the fabric was wet and clinging to her legs.

When the cold wind blows, it really chills you to the bone.

Xu Qing sensed it.

Jiang Yue's arm, which was supporting him, was trembling.

It wasn't the usual shivering from the cold; it was the kind of spasms that were excruciatingly painful.

He wanted to stop and take a look.

Jiang Yue did not allow it.

"Don't dawdle, that old Zhang has sharp eyes."

The two of them went in a big circle.

They avoided Old Zhang's flashlight, and also avoided the big black dog that was still standing there questioning its existence.

He crawled back into the yard through the hole behind the boiler room.

The journey has been difficult.

Jiang Yue's face was deathly pale, and her lips had lost all color.

When she got back to the entrance of the dormitory, she almost lost her balance and knelt down.

Xu Qing quickly used his shoulder to support her.

Jiang Yue took a breath and wiped the cold sweat from her face.

"Go in and don't make a sound."

She lowered her voice and gave a brief instruction.

The two of them quietly pushed open the door.

The room still smelled of stinky feet, mixed with the faint smell of someone's fart.

The sounds of snoring rose and fell.

Er Lei's bed is empty; that bastard is probably still limping back outside.

Jiang Yue pressed Xu Qing down onto his small bed.

She plopped down on the edge of the bed, completely exhausted.

The wound on my leg has stopped bleeding; it's frozen.

My pants were stuck to my skin, and even the slightest movement would pull and hurt my skin.

Xu Qing ignored himself.

He shakily got up and took off the tattered cotton-padded jacket he had somehow found and gave it to Jiang Yue.

"Clothing".

Jiang Yue pressed his hand down.

"I'm not cold."

Her teeth were chattering as she said this.

It made a clacking sound.

Xu Qing didn't listen to her.

He pulled over his thin but relatively dry blanket and wrapped Jiang Yue completely inside it.

Then he took Jiang Yue's quilt and put it on top of her.

Jiang Yue tried to push him away, but she couldn't lift her hand.

She was truly exhausted.

That feeling of exhaustion was worse than the pain.

Xu Qing crawled into bed.

His small body didn't generate much heat, but he curled himself up into a ball, snuggling close to Jiang Yue.

He was using his body heat to warm Jiang Yue's body.

Jiang Yue was taken aback.

This kid actually knows how to care about people.

After a while, Jiang Yue's trembling subsided slightly.

Xu Qing took that thing out of his pocket.

While he was freezing to death in the warehouse, this steamed bun was kept pressed against his chest.

It's still warm.

It's just been compressed a bit, so the shape isn't very nice.

Xu Qing held the steamed bun to Jiang Yue's mouth.

Jiang Yue looked at the half-eaten steamed bun.

He looked again at Xu Qing's expectant eyes.

Her nose felt a little sore.

That silly boy.

He locked himself in that ice hole for half the night, and the first thing he did when he came out was to leave food for her.

"I don't……"

Jiang Yue was about to refuse.

Xu Qing stuffed the steamed bun directly into her mouth.

That shut down her boastful words.

Jiang Yue chewed twice.

The steamed buns tasted a bit sour, probably because they'd been sitting out for too long.

But when it melts in your mouth, it's truly sweet.

It smells even better than that piece of crap beef canned food that Er Lei snatched.

Jiang Yue swallowed the steamed bun.

I felt a little warmer after having something in my stomach.

"Alright, go to sleep."

Jiang Yue reached out and ruffled Xu Qing's hair haphazardly.

"I have to get up early to work tomorrow."

Xu Qing nodded.

He really couldn't hold on any longer.

That ordeal just now completely drained him of his energy.

He found a comfortable spot next to Jiang Yue and closed his eyes.

Within two minutes, his breathing became even.

Jiang Yue, however, couldn't sleep.

The wound on my leg started to burn.

It looked like a red-hot iron block was stuffed inside.

The wound on my hand also started to flare up.

I didn't feel anything when I hit the iron plate, but now my fingers are swollen like radishes and I can't even bend them.

And my throat is itchy.

That exhaust fan vent is filthy.

It was covered in dust and mold that had accumulated over countless years.

She inhaled quite a bit when she was smashing the wall.

My lungs feel like they've been rubbed with sandpaper; every breath is painful.

Jiang Yue suppressed her cough.

Afraid of waking Xu Qing.

They were also afraid of waking up the other people in the house and causing trouble.

She just stubbornly endured it.

The first half of the night was fine.

In the latter half of the night, things started to go wrong.

Jiang Yue felt as if she had fallen into a furnace.

I felt cold just now, but now my whole body is burning up.

My skin was burning hot.

My mind started to feel foggy and groggy.

Those images started flashing before my eyes.

One moment it's the gaping maw of the big black dog.

One minute it's Er Lei's smug face.

A moment later, it was Granny Wang's hand again, trembling like she had Parkinson's.

The final image focuses on Xu Qing's pale face.

"Don't be afraid..."

Jiang Yue mumbled something in a daze.

Her voice was so soft that even she couldn't hear it.

"I've got your back..."

Her consciousness began to sink.

It felt like falling into a bottomless black hole.

That was a high fever caused by a wound infection.

In addition, there was severe exposure to cold and aspiration infection of the lungs.

Xu Qing was fast asleep.

He was dreaming.

I dreamt that someone lit a fire for me, and it was warm and cozy.

He instinctively moved closer to the heat source.

That was Jiang Yue's body.

It was as hot as a piece of freshly baked charcoal.

Xu Qing woke up in a state of extreme unease.

It was still dark.

It was still pitch black outside the window.

But he sensed something was wrong.

Jiang Yue next to me is too hot.

Moreover, his breathing was heavy and rapid.

It sounded like the blower he had heard in the boiler room that time.

Xu Qing suddenly sat up.

He reached out and touched Jiang Yue's forehead.

As soon as he touched it, he was so frightened that he pulled his hand back.

Scalding hot.

"..."

Xu Qing opened his mouth as if to shout.

But there was only the sound of airflow coming from his throat.

He nudged Jiang Yue.

Jiang Yue did not react.

His brows were furrowed tightly, and he was talking nonsense.

"Smash...smash it open..."

"Don't die..."

By the faint light of the snow outside the window, Xu Qing was able to see Jiang Yue's face clearly.

Her face was blushing abnormally.

His lips were purple and covered in dry, cracked cuts.

Xu Qing lifted a corner of the blanket.

A strong smell of blood wafted over.

That was the wound on Jiang Yue's thigh.

It was frozen before, but now that it's been warmed up, the blood has started to seep out again.

Moreover, the area around the wound was severely red and swollen, and looked somewhat black.

This is inflamed.

Although Xu Qing was young, he had seen this kind of situation before.

There used to be a child in the orphanage who was injured and didn't receive treatment. He eventually developed a fever that made him mentally disabled, and he was sent away.

Fear gripped Xu Qing's heart instantly.

It was even scarier than being in that dark warehouse.

He was afraid Jiang Yue would die.

There is only one person in the world who is good to him.

Only this one person would get himself into such a state in that snowy wilderness to save him.

Xu Qing jumped out of bed.

Barefoot on the cold cement floor.

He ran to the dilapidated washstand.

There was still half a basin of cold water in the chipped enamel basin.

A thin layer of ice had formed on the water's surface.

Xu Qing smashed the ice with a punch.

He grabbed a stiff towel from the side and soaked it in water.

He ran back to the bedside.

Place the cold towel on Jiang Yue's forehead.

呲——

Xu Qing even had an auditory illusion, as if he heard the sound of water hitting a soldering iron.

Jiang Yue snorted but didn't wake up.

But that's not enough at all.

This little bit of cool water can't suppress such a high body temperature.

We need to find medicine.

We need to find fever reducers.

There are also anti-inflammatory drugs.

Xu Qing paced around the room.

He knew that Er Lei's gang had some stockpiled goods.

That was money they had saved up through petty theft.

Xu Qing looked at Er Lei's bed.

That grandson came back at some point, and was lying on the bed groaning.

I reckon his leg is broken too.

Xu Qing didn't care about that.

He walked over.

I rummaged through the mess of clothes.

Erlei woke up.

He was in so much pain that he couldn't sleep at all.

I was startled to see a dark figure rummaging through my things.

"Who?"

Er Lei tried to sit up, but the pain in his knees made him gasp for breath.

Xu Qing turned her head.

He was clutching that old chopstick in his hand.

It was pressed directly against Erlei's neck.

Er Lei saw it clearly.

It's that mute guy.

"you……"

Er Lei was about to curse.

Xu Qing applied a little more force to her hand.

The sharp tip of the chopsticks pierced the flesh of Er Lei's neck.

This mute man has gone mad.

Er Lei read this information from Xu Qing's eyes.

That look in his eyes was exactly the same as when Jiang Yue was being fierce.

Even more sinister.

Xu Qing didn't say anything.

He held chopsticks in one hand and made a swallowing motion with the other.

Then he pointed to Jiang Yue's bed.

Er Lei understood.

This is medicine.

"No...no..."

Er Lei instinctively wanted to renege on his debt.

Xu Qing flicked his wrist.

The chopsticks pressed down a little.

Blood beads appeared.

Erlei panicked.

He was genuinely afraid that the mute man's hand might slip and stab him through.

Yes! Yes!

Erlei quickly pointed to under the pillow.

"There...there are two fever reducers over there..."

"It's the same one we stole from the infirmary last time..."