Chapter 115: Arduous Rescue

In fact, Xiao Lin had already noticed the moment the girl fell into the water, but he never expected Yuan Weiye to jump into the river so impulsively. Given Yuan Weiye's swimming skills, let alone saving someone, managing to get back to the shore safely would be a miracle. On top of that, this fool had jumped in without even taking off his clothes, completely oblivious to the fact that his padded winter jacket would rapidly absorb water. However, time was pressing, leaving no room for hesitation. Xiao Lin quickly stripped off his outer garments until he was left in only a shirt and his underpants, then plunged into the river. Xu Tong followed his example, discarding his clothes and diving in right behind him. Wang Tao also made a move to jump, but Xiao Lin stopped him.

"More people won't help; Xu Tong and I are enough. Wang Tao, go immediately and find a thick, long branch—make sure it's long enough. If you can't find one, any pieces of plank will do, anything that can float on the water without sinking. Hey, Lin旭东 [Lin Xudong], don't just stand there like a dummy! Hurry up and find someone for help, and call an ambulance right now!"

The moment he entered the water, Xiao Lin shivered violently from the piercing cold. He shook his head to clear his mind, and then, alongside Xu Tong, he swam vigorously toward the spot where the girl had fallen.

Hearing Xiao Lin's instructions, Wang Tao hurried off to search the surroundings for a long wooden pole, while Lin Xudong shouted, "Help! Help!" at the top of his lungs while pulling out his phone to dial the emergency services.

By this time, Yuan Weiye, the first to jump into the river, had reached the area where the girl had gone under, but he was already reaching his limits. He was utterly reckless, leaping in while wearing his heavy padded jacket. Everyone knows that attempting a water rescue without shedding one's clothes is suicide; otherwise, instead of saving the victim, you end up dragged down with them. Stripping down completely serves two purposes: first, it ensures maximum mobility in the water, and second, since it is winter, jumping in with thick layers means the waterlogged garments will make swimming virtually impossible.

At that moment, Yuan Weiye's lips were purple with cold, and his face was deathly pale. He felt his body growing heavier and heavier by the second, yet a single thought still echoed in his mind: he couldn't let that girl die; such a gorgeous figure would be a terrible waste if she perished. Sometimes, one had to marvel at Yuan Weiye's bizarre train of thought. He could barely save his own skin, yet he was still fixated on saving someone else.

Because the girl had fallen in earlier, no trace of her was visible now. Yuan Weiye shook his head, took a deep breath, and plunged straight down into the water. Since the river was not exceptionally deep, he spotted a human figure sinking toward the bottom the moment he submerged. Even using his toes to think, Yuan Weiye knew this had to be the drowning girl. He thrust out his hands and grabbed blindly, managing to catch the fabric on the back of her jacket. With all his might, Yuan Weiye tugged at her clothing, trying to propel them both back to the surface. But instead of feeling like he was grabbing a person, it felt as though he had latched onto a boulder weighing thousands of pounds; no matter how hard he strained, he could not budge her.

In truth, the girl's swimming skills were abysmal. The moment she fell in and hit the freezing water, a wave of regret had washed over her. Drowning here meant not only breaking her family's hearts, but also knowing that the jerk who hurt her wouldn't even care. With that thought, she had tried to swim back up, but a surge of icy river water rushed into her nose, sending a sharp, burning pain through her respiratory tract. She thrashed about, flailing her hands and feet wildly, but grasped nothing. Gradually, her limbs began to stiffen, her consciousness blurred, and the river swallowed her whole.

By the time Yuan Weiye grabbed her, the girl's awareness was already extremely faint, but his touch triggered a deep bodily instinct. She instantly latched onto the object that had touched her, clinging to Yuan Weiye like a four-legged octopus. That desperate grip sealed her doom, as she dragged Yuan Weiye down into the depths with her. Realizing he had been grabbed, panic set in, and in his fright, he swallowed several mouthfuls of freezing water, leaving him choking for air. Yuan Weiye knew full well that if she dragged him down to the riverbed, he would never make it back up. He put every ounce of remaining strength into an attempt to swim upward, but it was already too late. Once a drowning person grabs hold of you in the water, they cling to you as if you are the final straw of salvation, and shaking them off is utterly impossible. Thus, the girl dragged Yuan Weiye down toward the bottom, while oxygen deprivation and exhaustion slowly drained away his own consciousness.

"I never thought I'd die like this, Yuan Weiye. Still, at least I get to die alongside a beauty—fucking hell, I suppose I came out ahead on this deal." That was Yuan Weiye's final coherent thought before slipping away.

Meanwhile, Xiao Lin and Xu Tong had reached the spot. Xiao Lin looked around and saw not even a ripple on the surface, save for a continuous stream of bubbles. He muttered a curse under his breath—those bubbles were formed because a drowning person had inhaled water. Lowering his head abruptly, Xiao Lin opened his eyes underwater, but found no sign of anyone. He resurfaced, gasping heavily for air.

"Xu Tong, both of them have sunk to the bottom. I'm going down to rescue them; stay on the surface and back me up," Xiao Lin said to Xu Tong in a grim tone.

"No way, I'm coming down with you," Xu Tong refused, shaking his head. He knew how perilous underwater rescues were, and that rescuers frequently failed to return alongside the victims—Yuan Weiye was living proof of that hazard.

"Listen to me! There's no time left. That's final," Xiao Lin barked at Xu Tong, his face set with an unyielding determination that brooked no argument.

"Fine. But you have to promise me you'll come back up safely." Looking at Xiao Lin's dead-serious expression, Xu Tong finally nodded.

"If I don't make it back, tell Yuqing that I really did love her." With those words, Xiao Lin took a deep breath and dived beneath the surface.

"Asshole! What kind of talk is that? Tell her yourself!" Xu Tong yelled angrily in response.

But Xiao Lin could no longer hear him as he groped blindly and laboriously through the murky water. Five or six seconds later, his hands brushed against something resembling aquatic weeds. Realizing instantly that this small river contained no weeds, he deduced it must be the drowning girl's hair. A surge of excitement washed over him, but he forced himself to remain calm. Following the strands of hair, Xiao Lin mentally mapped out the outline of the girl's body. Three seconds later, he gritted his teeth, gently cupped her head along the flow of her hair, and grabbed her from behind. Approaching from the rear was crucial to prevent her from grabbing him in a panic. Having secured a firm hold, Xiao Lin kicked upward with all his might toward the surface. Seven or eight seconds later, he broke through the water, holding the girl.

The moment he surfaced, Xiao Lin took a massive gulp of air to relieve the crushing pressure in his chest. Seeing him emerge, Xu Tong swam over urgently and relieved him of the girl.

"Hold her from behind and drag her ashore! I have to go back for Yuan Weiye," Xiao Lin spat out rapidly before diving back down beneath the water.

Before Xu Tong could even open his mouth to reply, Xiao Lin had vanished. He sighed, looked down at the pale, unconscious girl with her eyes tightly shut, and whispered a silent prayer: *Xiao Lin, you damn well better bring Yuan Weiye back safely.* Following Xiao Lin's instructions, Xu Tong cradled the girl from behind and kicked swiftly toward the bank.

Submerging once more, Xiao Lin felt his way back toward the spot where he had found the girl, operating on the instinctive hunch that Yuan Weiye would still be there. Sure enough, his hands brushed against something soft—unmistakably the padded jacket Yuan Weiye had been wearing. A flicker of hope ignited in his chest. Xiao Lin plunged a fraction deeper, felt his way up to Yuan Weiye's back, and began pushing him toward the surface like a weightlifter hoisting a heavy load. Granted, this posture was far less efficient than the one he had used for the girl, but he no longer had the luxury of time to properly position himself around Yuan Weiye's head, and his stamina was nearly exhausted.

Struggling fiercely, Xiao Lin propelled Yuan Weiye upward. One second, two seconds... over a dozen seconds passed, yet the surface remained out of reach. Xiao Lin was reaching his absolute breaking point; rescuing two people back-to-back was taxing even for someone as physically robust as him. His chest felt as though it were about to burst, his nose and ears were filled with water, and the biting cold caused his muscles to spasm intermittently. His strength was steadily ebbing, his body growing heavier by the minute. At this stage, sheer willpower was all that kept him going.

Gradually, a sliver of light filtered into his vision—the surface must be right there. Pouring every remaining shred of strength into one final push, Xiao Lin shoved Yuan Weiye out into the open air above. As he did, his own consciousness began to fade away, and a vision of a pretty girl smiling brightly at him swam into view.

"Yuqing, I'm sorry. I won't be able to stay with you anymore." Hallucinations began to plague him. Just as his senses were on the verge of blinking out entirely, a sudden shout startled his eyes open once more.

"Xiao Lin! Grab the board! Hold on, we're coming to get you right now!"

It was Wang Tao's voice. Having retrieved a half-meter-wide wooden plank, he had returned just in time to see Yuan Weiye pushed to the surface by Xiao Lin, who failed to follow. Panicked, Wang Tao had bellowed at the top of his lungs and hurled the board directly toward Yuan Weiye.

In a haze, Xiao Lin spotted the floating timber. He bit down hard on his tongue for a jolt of pain and managed to grip the board tightly. A rush of fresh air hit his face, and Xiao Lin finally exhaled a breath of relief—he had made it. Yet those few short minutes had completely drained every ounce of energy from his limbs.

By this time, Lin Xudong had also arrived with several adults in tow. With their collective assistance, Yuan Weiye and Xiao Lin were hauled onto the bank. Two experienced adults immediately set to work administering first aid to the girl and Yuan Weiye. Soaked to the skin and freezing, Xiao Lin shivered uncontrollably. Wang Tao hurried over to dress him in dry clothes, rubbing his face vigorously to restore circulation to his numb skin. Seven or eight minutes later, the wail of an approaching ambulance pierced the air. The group hurriedly hoisted the girl and Yuan Weiye onto stretchers, while Wang Tao hoisted Xiao Lin onto his back and Lin Xudong supported Xu Tong as they made their way toward the waiting vehicle.