What to Do After Being Transported into a Mature-Themed Novel and Caught in a Storm of Passion - Chapter 102

For the next few days, Xue Zhixiao and Pu Feide remained imprisoned in the dim mining site. Though no guards patrolled the underground tunnels, escape remained impossible with soldiers likely stationed above ground. The cavernous space swallowed all natural light, leaving only a single rusty lamp clinging to the dirt walls, its flickering glow casting long shadows across the uneven ground. Meals arrived with mechanical regularity—simple but plentiful portions that kept hunger at bay. Their captivity would have been almost bearable if not for the lack of fresh clothing.

Pu Feide immediately offered his shirt when he noticed Xue Zhixiao struggling with her restrictive gown. With meticulous care, he transformed his suit into serviceable cloth shoes and a modest skirt for her, his fingers working deftly despite the poor lighting. To combat the oppressive boredom, he carved a chess set from loose stones, the rhythmic scraping of rock against rock filling their quiet hours. Under his watchful presence, Xue Zhixiao found unexpected comfort in their routine, though the finer details of their daily existence need not be recounted here.

On the fourth day, their uneasy peace shattered when a wiry, dark-skinned officer stormed into the cavern. The man’s crisp military uniform and venomous glare marked him as someone of rank. He erupted in guttural shouts, jabbing his pistol toward Pu Feide’s face with each incomprehensible word. Xue Zhixiao flinched at the metallic click of the safety disengaging, but Pu Feide remained motionless, his eyes downcast as if the raving soldier were nothing more than a bothersome insect.

The officer’s face purpled with rage at this dismissal. Spittle flew from his lips as he cocked his sidearm and pressed the cold barrel against Pu Feide’s temple. Still, the imprisoned aristocrat didn’t so much as blink. Only when the gun swung toward Xue Zhixiao did Pu Feide finally stir. His eyelids lifted slowly, revealing eyes gone sharp as daggers. A single murmured phrase in their captors’ tongue made the officer recoil, his swagger collapsing into wide-eyed terror. The gun trembled in his suddenly unsteady grip.

Then the explosion came—a deafening crack that ricocheted through the hollowed-out earth. Xue Zhixiao’s scream pierced the ringing silence as she clutched at Pu Feide’s arm, her nails digging into his sleeve. The metallic tang of gunpowder mixed with the coppery scent of fresh blood as she stared in horror at the dark stain spreading across his back.

“Feide!” Her entire body shook like a leaf in a storm.

Through gritted teeth, he managed a strained whisper: “I’m fine. Don’t be afraid, Zhixiao. I can handle this.” But the sweat beading on his ashen forehead betrayed the pain he concealed. When he turned toward their assailant, his usual composed elegance gave way to something far more dangerous. The officer stumbled backward, his weapon clattering to the stone floor as his legs gave out beneath him. Without another word, he scrambled away, his panicked shouts fading up the tunnel.

Xue Zhixiao’s hands fluttered uselessly over the wound. “Your back is bleeding—we need to stop it!” The crimson blotch on his undershirt grew with each passing second, its edges creeping outward like some grotesque flower.

With deliberate calm, Pu Feide peeled off the bloodied garment and tore it into strips. “He’ll call a doctor,” he assured her, though his breathing had turned shallow. “But Zhixiao, before help comes, I need your assistance.” A weak smile touched his lips despite the pallor of his face. “Can you find clean cloth for bandages? I’d rather not frighten you with too much blood.”

“Yes—yes, of course.” Swallowing her tears, Xue Zhixiao grabbed the torn remnants of her repurposed gown, her fingers working quickly to shred the fabric into usable strips. The damp chill of the cavern seemed to seep into her bones as she prepared to dress the wound that might very well determine whether they lived or died.