TIMO - Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Fu Zhao narrowed her eyes. Her body moved before her mind could catch up, and she shot forward.
She quickly vaulted over the railing at the side of the road and sprinted toward the figure.
She ran with such urgency that the rushing sea breeze flooded her ears and mouth, making the corners of her clothes rustle. In that instant, all other sounds seemed to cease, leaving only her ragged breaths and the howl of the wind.
Soon, the figure she was staring at grew smaller and smaller, until it slowly disappeared beneath the waves.
Fu Zhao ran with all her might, but by the time she reached the spot, the figure had already vanished completely below the horizon.
As she neared the shore, the salty, damp smell of the sea hit her full in the face.
A large wave crashed ashore, splashing against her calves. The bone-chilling wetness shot up her legs, jolting her completely out of her daze.
She stared at the empty sea, then grabbed a life jacket left behind by the owner of a nearby fishing boat. She fumbled to put it on as she quickened her pace into the water.
Fortunately, Fu Zhao knew how to swim.
But saving someone from the sea who was determined to die would require more than just that-it would take a great deal of luck.
The early summer weather was muggy, but the moment she entered the water, the heat and stickiness vanished.
In its place came a chilling cold that seeped into every part of her, along with a sharp, multiplying pain that surged from the wound on her hand.
Fu Zhao held her breath and searched for the figure in the nearby shallows.
To prevent such incidents or accidents, the shallow waters of Nanke Island were equipped with a safety system, and each area was assigned its own lifeguards.
That's right, the lifeguards.
Why wasn't there a lifeguard in this section? And why did it seem like no one had noticed someone jump into the sea?
Was this another one of her hallucinations?
Just as the thought occurred to her, the water shifted, its sparkling surface flashing in her eyes.
Amid the turquoise, rippling waves, the figure reappeared.
A mane of glossy, shoulder-length black hair fanned out in the clear ripples, shimmering as it drifted to cover half her face.
Her visible eye was shut tight, and her lips were pressed into a thin line. She seemed to have lost consciousness, her motionless body slowly sinking.
Thankfully, it was seawater. Its density was high, which meant she still had time to save the woman.
Fu Zhao swam faster, holding her breath for as long as she could. Just before the woman sank completely, she managed to grab her by the waist.
The woman was so light that the weight in her arms was almost negligible.
Her own hair, which had been tied back, had long since come loose. It tangled with the woman's fine, curly hair, intertwining in the water and even wrapping around her arm. Strands would occasionally brush against her neck, lips, and cheeks, carrying the salty tang of the sea.
Fu Zhao quickly brought the woman to the surface.
The moment they broke the surface, fresh air rushed in. She gasped for breath, and using the last of her strength, she dragged the woman to the shore. Fu Zhao then collapsed onto the ground beside her, utterly exhausted, greedily gulping down the air she had been deprived of in the water.
The sky had grown completely dark.
The lighthouse out at sea lit up, its dim, warm yellow light flickering and dazzling Fu Zhao's eyes.
The wind hadn't stopped. It blew cold against her skin, plastering her wet shirt to her body, making her feel damp and uncomfortable.
She didn't dare rest for long. As soon as she caught her breath, she quickly got up to check on the woman beside her.
The woman was young, looking to be in her early twenties. Her skin was fair and seemed to glow. Droplets of water from her hair slid down her cheeks, falling one by one to wet the sand beneath her.
She was dressed simply in a black T-shirt and black jeans, which, now soaked, clung to her body, outlining a slender waist and long, elegant legs.
Her tightly pressed lips were full, and the water droplets on them gave them a lustrous, natural red hue. The corners of her mouth turned up slightly. Even lying there so quietly, her face was strikingly beautiful.
Fu Zhao didn't dare to stare for long. The dampness of her own clothes reminded her of how urgent the situation was.
She took a deep breath, pushed up her sleeves, and wiped the water from her face, trying to recall the first-aid training she'd had.
First, clear any obstructions from her mouth and nose.
There was nothing.
She pressed her ear to the woman's chest. Her heartbeat was normal, which made Fu Zhao sigh in relief.
Next came expelling the water, artificial respiration, and other procedures.
Her fingers trembled uncontrollably as she reached out and tilted the woman's chin up to open her airway.
This was a special situation.
A life was on the line; there was no time to be squeamish.
Fu Zhao mentally prepared herself, took a deep breath, and began to follow the first-aid procedures she remembered.
The textbook had made it seem so clear.
But putting it into practice, she was clumsy and flustered, especially when her hands touched the woman's soft, damp skin.
After all, this was the first time she had ever faced a situation like this.
The woman soon coughed up a few mouthfuls of water, but she still showed no signs of waking.
When it came time for mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, she could only fumble through it. Following the techniques she had learned, she steeled herself, took a deep breath of fresh air, and passed it to the unconscious woman.
She moved quickly.
So quickly that she had no time to think, her mind focused on a single goal: the woman had to wake up. Please, don't die.
Fu Zhao cleared her mind of all distractions, mechanically repeating the motions. Even her initial shyness faded. As time wore on, her anxiety grew, and the sharp pain in her palm that had kept her focused began to dull. Her own vision started to blur until the woman before her was nothing more than a hazy silhouette.
Just before her strength gave out.
Just before her willpower was completely drained.
The woman finally responded.
First, her eyelashes fluttered, and her tightly pressed lips parted.
Then, she slowly opened her eyes. The outer corners tilted up slightly, revealing a pair of tea-brown irises that held a clear, bright light, veiled by a damp mist. They were beautiful, possessing a natural, languid charm.
They were a stunning pair of eyes, even clouded with mist and confusion from just having woken up.
A soft cough followed.
Fu Zhao let out a breath of relief. She felt as if all her energy had just been spent. Her head was heavy, the strength drained from her body in an instant, and her eyelids grew difficult to keep open. "Are you..."
"...alright?"
After saying this, Fu Zhao's vision darkened, and the woman's face and expression blurred completely.
The world spun around her.
She lost her balance and fell-not onto the cold sand as she expected, but into an embrace. The clothes were damp and cool, but a faint warmth seeped through them.
I heard that as long as a drowning victim's body temperature slowly returns to normal, they should be fine.
Reassured, Fu Zhao let her heavy eyelids fall shut.
Before she lost consciousness completely, she felt the strands of her hair being gently tucked behind her ear. A touch on her cheek carried the same temperature as the embrace holding her. A soft, gentle voice reached her ears, carried on the sea breeze, laced with a strange, complex emotion. It seemed to sigh.
"Why... did you save me again?"
Author's Notes
A reminder: when Fu Zhao transmigrated, she had no memories of the original host, so for now, she doesn't recognize Shi Nan.
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