"Don't hurt him!"
A furious roar echoed as a giant mantis that was pinning Jing Minghe was kicked away by the newcomer.
"Yumi-jie?"
Yumi fiercely kicked away the giant mantis trying to tear Jing Minghe apart. She couldn't spare attention for the one attacking her, and its forelegs tore a long gash across her back. Blood seeped through her clothes, and Yumi's face instantly turned pale.
Ignoring the pain, Yumi stumbled a few steps but quickly got up to pull Jing Minghe. Seeing the festering flesh and exposed white bone on Jing Minghe's arm, she was filled with shock.
"How can this be?"
Yumi uttered words of disbelief, but her actions were not delayed. She grabbed Jing Minghe and fled to the side.
Two terrifying giant mantises, two injured people. There was no other option but to run.
Though Jing Minghe was worried about Yumi's injuries, with pursuers hot on their heels, he couldn't afford to pay attention elsewhere. After all, survival was paramount. Living first was the most important thing.
"Over there!"
Jing Minghe pointed his hand. Yumi followed his gaze and saw a conspicuously different giant flower. It was different because, contrary to the other tall and straight giant flowers, it grew crookedly, its branches and leaves extending in strange directions, some even curling into spirals.
Despite its odd growth, this giant flower was the best refuge for Jing Minghe and Yumi at that moment.
They quickened their pace, crawling into the center of the spiral, and the giant mantises were finally blocked outside.
Yumi supported Jing Minghe as they looked around, finding a relatively safer spot to sit. As she unfastened her retractable medical kit, she said nervously, "Minghe, bear with it. I'll treat your wound right away."
Jing Minghe gritted his teeth and grimaced. He truly couldn't pretend to be tough now, because he knew why Yumi was so anxious. The wound on his arm was festering at a visible rate.
"Yumi-jie, this time I'm afraid..."
"Shut up!"
Jing Minghe had intended to make a joke to lighten the mood, but Yumi's sharp retort stopped him.
"What 'afraid'? There's no 'afraid'!" Yumi skillfully opened the medical kit, finding the necessary drugs, anesthetic, needle and thread, and bandages. She decisively and carefully treated Jing Minghe's arm wound, while also chiding him, "Anyone can say disheartening things, but not you. If even you say such words, then we might as well all commit suicide. Why bother fighting to move forward? What hope do we have of getting out alive?"
"..."
After speaking, Yumi surgically cut away the festering flesh from Jing Minghe's arm. Even with anesthetic, Jing Minghe gasped in pain.
After a while, Jing Minghe managed a contrite smile, "Sister, I misspoke. Don't be angry. Trust me, we will get out."
Yumi applied medicine to Jing Minghe, bandaging him while saying, "What reason do I have to be angry? If something were to happen to you, it wouldn't be me who would be angry. If you really... At that time, Mr. Chi would probably make the entire City of Death accompany you. Is that any different from us all committing suicide?"
Thinking of Chi Hao, Jing Minghe couldn't help but curve his lips upwards, "No, he'll send you all out first, and then he'll destroy the City of Death to avenge me."
Yumi's hands paused slightly. After a moment of hesitation, she softly said, "Minghe, you are an exception to Mr. Chi, which is why you think that. But he... is not a good person. He is..."
Seeing Yumi's serious and veiled expression, Jing Minghe felt puzzled. "Yumi-jie, Brother Hao's personality is a bit strange, but he..."
His words caught in his throat. Jing Minghe gave a bitter smile and then said, "Don't worry. Whether he's good or evil, it's all the same to us. Besides, Yumi-jie, the me you knew outside, was I not also considered a less-than-good person?"
Yumi opened her mouth but didn't say anything more, merely shaking her head slightly.
Living in this world dominated by the system, whether outside or within the City of Death, no one had the leisure to pay much attention to those around them. Most people lived mechanically, waiting to be chosen by the system, or living their lives without ever being chosen.
However, there were always a few special individuals who were hard to ignore.
In Yumi's life, Jing Minghe was one of them. Nine out of ten days, he would be injured, only seeking medical attention when it became unbearable. He had a brother he often mentioned, and his eyes would light up when he spoke of him. Yet, Yumi had never met his so-called remarkable brother. Even when Jing Minghe was severely injured and hospitalized, his brother never came to visit. Despite this, Jing Minghe's admiration for him never wavered.
Another special person was Chi Hao.
It was only after entering the current instance that she suddenly remembered that she had met and known Chi Hao outside. What puzzled her was why she would suddenly recall him. Her memories of Chi Hao had been completely erased before, leaving no trace. Then, upon entering this instance, they were abruptly reinstated.
During their extended time together in the City of Death, besides Jing Minghe, Chi Hao was also someone Yumi absolutely trusted. But this sudden flood of memories made Yumi feel a sense of fear.
Coupled with the current relationship between Chi Hao and Jing Minghe, Yumi found herself in a difficult position. She believed Chi Hao truly loved Jing Minghe, but she also worried about that one possibility. After all, outside, Chi Hao was someone whom almost everyone who knew him feared.
After bandaging Jing Minghe's wound and clearing her chaotic thoughts, Yumi heard the two giant mantises outside still trying to break in. She got up to check, but Jing Minghe called out to her.
"Yumi-jie, if you don't mind, let me treat the wound on your back. At least I should apply some medicine to stop the bleeding."
It was then that Yumi noticed how much blood had flowed from the wound on her back, almost staining her front clothes red.
Yumi glanced towards the entrance and said with a wry smile, "What is there to mind?"
Saying this, Yumi turned back, squatted down, and handed a tube of medicine to Jing Minghe. Turning her back to him, she said, "Just apply this to the wound."
Jing Minghe gently unfastened Yumi's clothes that were stuck to the wound on her back. Looking at the torn flesh, he asked, "Don't you need stitches? Even if my technique isn't the best, it's better than leaving it torn like this."
"No need, just stop the bleeding. We still have..." Yumi's words trailed off as she suddenly stood up, pointed diagonally opposite her, and exclaimed excitedly, "Minghe, over there! It looks like... writing?"