Chapter 010: Azalea

Although it wasn’t quite pitch-black to the point where you couldn’t see your own hand in front of you, it was not much better. Chen Yage pulled back Li Bai, who was about to turn and leave, and said, “Brother Bai, it must be completely dark outside by now. There’s no light here either. Why don’t we rest here for the night? When dawn breaks, it won’t be too late to look for a way out.”

“No, this place isn’t safe. Every moment we linger, the danger increases. You stay here and rest, don’t wander around. Wait for me, but if I don’t return for a long time, find another way out on your own!”

“Brother Bai!” Chen Yage called out as Li Bai insisted on leaving, and then she leapt straight into the pool. Li Bai was so anxious he paced in circles. He called out to her several times from the bank, but when Chen Yage didn’t respond, he didn’t hesitate any longer and plunged into the bottomless pool himself.

The moment she jumped in, Chen Yage regretted her impulsiveness. The saying “impulse is the devil” could not have been truer. The water in the pool was icy cold, numbing her from head to toe, her limbs stiff and unresponsive. Yet, if she didn’t go down and investigate, she couldn’t rest easy. Most importantly, she didn’t want Li Bai to venture ahead alone.

She paddled forward with all her might, unaware that Li Bai had also jumped into the water. After a quarter of an hour, her strength was waning. The bone-chilling cold was about to freeze her solid. As suffocation crept in, her mind suddenly cleared.

“No, I can’t go any farther!” When she decided to turn back, Chen Yage realized she had lost her sense of direction. Suddenly, she remembered Li Bai’s familiar habits, and without hesitation, she swam to the left. Suddenly, a powerful current, like the pull of gravity, dragged her into a bottomless whirlpool.

“Brother Bai! Brother Bai!” At that moment, Li Bai filled her mind. She wanted so desperately to call out, but the moment her mouth opened, a surge of water rushed in. She swallowed mouthful after mouthful and began to choke.

She struggled in the water in agony but was no match for the overwhelming force. She was swept into the current, as if swallowed by a bottomless black hole. Darkness enveloped her, but in her mind, Li Bai’s face lingered until all consciousness faded away.

When Chen Yage awoke, a splitting headache greeted her. Her stomach felt painfully bloated. She struggled to her feet, only to find herself lying in a small room. The furnishings were simple: a carved bed, a dressing table, a round wooden table in the center, and four sandalwood stools. Though humble, the room had an air of freshness and elegance.

“Could I have been rescued by some mysterious master?” wondered Chen Yage. She couldn’t help but feel a surge of relief at having escaped death once again. But what about Brother Bai? Was he still inside that cave?

After carefully surveying the room, she walked outside. A beam of blinding sunlight struck her, and she instinctively raised a hand to shield her eyes.

“You’re awake?” A voice as clear as a warbler’s song echoed. Chen Yage turned to see a girl in a yellow dress, about thirteen or fourteen years old. She had willow-leaf brows, large expressive eyes, and a delicate cherry-red mouth set in a jade-white face. At that moment, her big eyes sparkled with curiosity.

“And you are?” Chen Yage asked, puzzled. She had to admit the girl was absolutely adorable, especially those bright, lively eyes. Chen Yage stared, dazed, for quite a while before coming to her senses.

“I’m Dujuan!” the girl replied sweetly. Her radiant smile revealed two charming dimples.

“Dujuan?” Chen Yage’s eyes widened in surprise. On closer inspection, the girl really did resemble a cuckoo, and in yellow no less. The thought made her suppress a secret laugh.

Dujuan looked at her in confusion. “What’s so funny? Is my name amusing? Actually, I was originally called Huang Dujuan—Huang is my father’s surname. But because he abandoned my mother and me, I go by Dujuan now.”

This time, Chen Yage couldn’t help doubling over with laughter. She laughed heartily while Dujuan looked on, utterly bewildered. She checked her clothes and smoothed her hair, finding nothing amiss, yet Chen Yage continued to laugh.

Truthfully, Chen Yage hadn’t meant to laugh—she simply couldn’t hold it in. She never imagined she could guess someone’s full name like that. After a good while, she finally stopped, only because Dujuan was clearly annoyed.

Chen Yage was thick-skinned, but she shared a common failing with most men: she couldn’t stand to see girls cry or get angry. Noticing Dujuan’s displeasure, she hurried to explain, “I wasn’t trying to make fun of your name, I just…”

Dujuan’s radiant smile vanished, replaced by frosty indifference. “You just what?”

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