CHAPTER 393: BEFORE 391, YOU DID NOT HAVE ZHONGLI WUZHI; FROM NOW ON, YOU DO.

Zhongli Wuzhi frowned, "Song Lili, what about me?"

"You climb up and stand here, I’ll operate it first to show you, and then we’ll take turns." She would do her utmost to save Lu Xiaoer, but she had also promised Wen Nian to do only what she could manage.

After Song Lili settled into the driver’s seat, Zhongli Wuzhi had already climbed up and was standing steadily on a flat metal plate.

Time passed quickly.

Every second mattered in this incessant rescue effort, even more so.

The excavation of the tunnel was slower than Song Lili had expected; after all, these people were not professional excavators...

Three and a half hours had passed, and the fastest of the slender tunnels was still less than eight meters long.

Zhongli Wuzhi sat on the excavator; his exquisite suit he had worn in the morning was now reduced to just a tank top, soaked by the sweat that streamed down his forehead and cheeks. His muscular arms were operating the steering wheel and control levers.

Song Lili was removing broken bricks and stones while giving directions, not faring much better than Zhongli Wuzhi herself.

Her hair, wet and sticking to her cheeks, and her lips had turned somewhat pale.

Zhongli Wuzhi glanced at her unintentionally,

"Song Lili, take a break for a moment!"

Song Lili looked up; the sun had already set in the west, and the evening breeze brought a hint of coolness.

She didn’t insist and went to rest on a relatively flat spot.

It was at that moment that the three and a half hours she had agreed upon with Lu Xiaoer had arrived.

Lu Xiaoer had only sent a voice request, which Song Lili answered,

"Xiaoer, how are you?"

"Huff... Lili... Huff..."

Lu Xiaoer curled up tightly, feeling very cold. It was summer and being so cold... it was not right.

Moreover, she was a doctor herself and had a general idea of her body’s condition; excessive blood loss and insufficient oxygen supply to the brain. Not to mention whether she could hold on, just being in a state of oxygen deficit for so long, her brain tissue would suffer.

"Xiaoer?"

"How much longer..."

Lu Xiaoer’s lips, dry, mumbled the question.

"It’s soon, very soon!"

"Has it gotten dark outside?"

"Not yet."

Song Lili said hurriedly.

Lu Xiaoer smiled faintly, "Thank you... Lili..."

"..." Song Lili felt a constriction in her chest, what was she talking about!

"Since the accident happened, twenty-one hours have passed, and I’ve been alone... I’ve thought about a lot. They say people involuntarily reflect on their lives before death..."

"Don’t talk anymore, Xiaoer..."

"If I don’t speak now, I’m afraid I’ll just fall asleep."

"..."

Sitting curled up, Song Lili clutched her phone tightly, her head bowed.

"Do you think if... if I hadn’t been so rebellious and had just obediently listened to my father, this might not have happened?"

"... I hypothetically considered it, and realized that rather than walking the path they laid out for me, living a common and dull life, it’s better to live like this. At least before departing this world, everything I’ve done, every word I’ve said, has been heartfelt..."

"It might be shorter, but it is without regrets, without remorse."

"Xiaoer! I don’t want to hear these last words from you. Listen to me, breathe deeply no matter how hard it is, and don’t give up until I’ve broken through with the rescue."

Song Lili said emotionally,

"I can promise you, if you survive, you will have a much better, much happier life! Your future days will definitely be countless times more wonderful than the life you’ve had!"

"... Haha... Lili, thank you."

"What?"

"Thank you for coming to my side against all odds, having you as a friend, Lu Xiaoer... is the greatest gift from heaven."

"You’re not going to die."

Song Lili declared with certainty!

No matter what, Lu Xiaoer would outlive her!

But if she gave up herself...

"Zhongli, your turn!"

"..."

Zhongli Wuzhi got down from the excavator, Song Lili handed him the phone,

"This is yours to handle, keep Lu Xiaoer with you, talk to her, tell stories, sing songs, anything! Don’t let her sleep, don’t let her give up!"

Song Lili said sternly, then ran toward the front, her figure weaving through the ruins!

Zhongli Wuzhi watched her run toward a fire truck that was about to leave!

He didn’t know what Song Lili was planning, and Zhongli Wuzhi got back on the excavator with the phone.

In the underground tunnel, the excavator wasn’t much use; manpower was more convenient.

His job was to move the earth and stones at the exit.

The six people there were also so tired that their lips had turned white.

"Little Ear, are you still awake?"

"Mmm..."

Lu Xiaoer’s eyes in the darkness were barely a slit, her eyelids felt like they weighed a ton, and she was exhausted.

"Do you know what I’m doing right now?"

Zhongli Wuzhi placed the phone on the control panel, operating the excavator while chatting with Lu Xiaoer.

"Boom boom boom... so noisy..."

"I’m using the excavator."

"Excavator..."

Lu Xiaoer repeated the word, suddenly laughing, "You know how to operate an excavator..."

"I learned on the spot! Learned it for you."

"Thank you... thank you... Zhongli."

"I want you to thank me to my face... With such a languid tone, your attitude isn’t proper at all."

"Hehe..."

"Little Ear, do you remember when we were in Dongheng? I was nearly scared off by the aftershocks several times, and I tried dragging you away from that place, but you absolutely refused... You said you were a doctor and that saving lives was your duty."

"Hehe... Yes, saving lives is my duty..."

Lu Xiaoer lifted her head, her narrowed eyes opening as tears slid down from the corners, her lips clenched tightly, not wanting to let out even a hint of crying.

"Do you remember, on the twentieth day after the earthquake, when a woman was trapped in her collapsed house? She was in the kitchen when the earthquake hit, and after being buried, she had a few tomatoes, a piece of bread, and a bottle of mineral water."

"Her legs were trapped, and she had to lie face down. She survived twenty days on those things... When we arrived, her spirit was nearly broken, but you encouraged her, over and over... buying us a whole six hours for the rescue."

"Little Ear, you have no idea how tall and sacred the dust-covered you was in my eyes."

"... Are you flattering me at a time like this?"

"I want you to be like that woman, to persist, second by second... That woman had faith, she was still concerned about her child, what about you?"

"It’s over, up until now... I really don’t have much faith..."

Lu Xiaoer murmured.

"That’s because you didn’t have Zhongli Wuzhi before, but from now on, you do."

Zhongli Wuzhi clenched his fist, and Lu Xiaoer’s weak breath brushed against the tip of his heart, his narrow, fox-like eyes red-rimmed.