Chapter 36: Panic Sets In

Yet, if he were to soften his heart now, she might one day truly drown in the vast ocean, or perhaps remain forever lost, sunken in the shadows of her past, unable to find her way out.

He closed his heavy, profound eyes, steeled his resolve, and swiftly threw her into the sea.

With a splash, the water surged. Tong Xiaoman was immediately enveloped by the tumultuous waves. A boundless terror spread across her face; she was so submerged in the sea that she forgot even how to struggle. Her limbs felt paralyzed, and her breathing seemed to cease entirely.

Fragments of memory, accompanied by an encroaching darkness, flashed relentlessly through her mind.

Father, Mother...

She seemed to see them beckoning to her. Their faces remained unchanged, still filled with the same love and cherished devotion for her. Suddenly, a flash of fire erupted before her eyes. The cruise ship exploded; bullets whistled past her, and crimson blood stained her vision.

"Baby..." That was the final, heart-wrenching roar from her father before he fell into the boundless ocean, swallowed by the ferocious tides.

She was stunned, frozen in place, standing motionless like a wooden statue.

"Baby, hide quickly!" Through the haze, a familiar figure stood before her, only to slowly collapse, the pungent scent of blood spreading across the deck.

"Mother..."

She suddenly awoke as if from a dream, her youthful voice letting out a heart-breaking, shrill cry. She threw herself onto her mother's body, sobbing, only to be grabbed by a large hand, hoisted by her collar, and flung into the vast, indifferent sea.

The icy water, like a clawed demon, consumed her. No matter how she struggled or cried out, it was in vain, until she suffocated, unable to breathe any longer.

Father, Mother!

They had died right before her eyes, their bodies never even recovered. This was the memory she buried deepest, the one she could never forget. She could smile in front of others and live a carefree life, yet she could never truly let go. This nightmare haunted her heart, constantly eroding her spirit.

People say that before one dies, they always think of their most beloved, feeling a final sense of remorse.

Is she dying? That must be why she is recalling that agonizing past; she is about to be reunited with her parents.

Suddenly, she felt the ocean was no longer terrifying. The fear on her face gradually faded. The water, heated by the sun, felt warm—much like the embrace of her parents.

Father, Mother, I am coming. Your baby misses you so much.

A crystal-clear tear, indistinguishable between bitter or sweet, slipped silently from the corner of her eye, dissolving into the sea.

On the deck, Nalan Che watched intently, his fists clenched tight. He was waiting for her to rise like a phoenix from the ashes.

Only when the surface of the sea returned to calm and her body sank deeper did he swiftly dive in. Through the emerald water, he saw her, quiet and serene. Her long hair drifted around her like a fairy of the deep, sleeping in the cradle of the ocean.

He surged forward, pulled her into his arms, and pressed his lips to hers, slowly breathing life into her.

He quickly swam to the surface, but as he felt for her breath against his lips, he suddenly realized there was none. He froze.

He had calculated the timing of the rescue perfectly; there should have been no error. Even though he knew he had not miscalculated, panic gripped him in that moment. He hurried to carry her onto the deck of the cruise ship.