61: A moment of collapse

Dou Dou, who had completely sobered up by now, stared with wide, round dog eyes filled with tears.

It anxiously looked at Uncle Wang, then circled around Yi Nian, roaring mournfully and pitifully.

The scene was chaotic. The healing Ability Users from Qingyun Base quickly rushed over to treat Uncle Wang and Yi Nian.

But even after the energy of three Ability Users was completely depleted, Uncle Wang remained unchanged, completely lifeless, his face even turning dark blue.

Yue Yue couldn't bear to watch, and Ji Chuan's eyes turned red as well.

Seeing this scene, Lin Wan felt ice-cold all over. She knew Uncle Wang was truly gone.

"Mo Chi, we shouldn't have been careless back then. We shouldn't have brought him along today just because we felt soft-hearted. No matter how much he begged, we shouldn't have brought him..."

Lin Wan's choked voice made Shen Mo Chi feel equally guilty and heartbroken.

Uncle Wang had always been a very important family member to him.

But since things had already happened, for now, they could only focus on Yi Nian.

His voice was somewhat hoarse:

"Wanwan, even if we hadn't brought him, he would have come on his own. Let's take Yi Nian and Uncle Wang back to the Base first. We'll leave this to Zhao Yan and the others."

Lin Wan kept nodding.

"Right, right, we're going back to the Base. We're going home..."

The group quickly drove back to the Base. Yi Nian's visible external injuries were all healed, but she still hadn't woken up.

Yue Yue, with tear tracks all over her face, held onto Lin Wan's arm and said:

"No one expected that Yang Hong was actually faking his death!"

Ji Chuan said remorsefully:

"It's my fault! I was careless; I thought he was completely dead."

Lin Wan looked at the large hole pierced through Uncle Wang's chest by the water arrow, and her tears couldn't stop falling.

"Yue Yue, what should we do? When Yi Nian wakes up, how will she face all of this? They, father and daughter, spent the first half of their lives separated, and now that they've reunited, it's only been two years..."

Since the Apocalypse, everything she did had gone smoothly, but this time, she truly felt pain and helplessness.

Yue Yue sighed, looking at Yi Nian lying on the bed.

"There's nothing to be done, it's already happened... When she wakes up, we'll stay by her side and let Uncle Wang rest in peace."

The one who blamed himself the most was Dou Dou.

After returning, it had kept its eyes red, its large body lying in front of Yi Nian, constantly nudging her small hand, whimpering in an attempt to wake her...

It had depended on Yi Nian for survival for many years and was already highly intelligent. Moreover, it was now an eighth-level mutated beast; it understood everything in its heart.

It regretted why it had dozed off just now, why it hadn't protected its two masters!

Shi Li remained close by her side, constantly using his spiritual power to sense her breath. Only by doing so could the panic spreading in his heart slightly decrease.

He regretted entering too late; he would never forget the look of terror and despair in her eyes at that moment...

Looking at her pale face, Shi Li wiped away the tears continuously falling from the corner of her eyes.

"ANian, it's okay, it's okay... It was my fault for being too late, I'm sorry. Please wake up, okay?... As long as you wake up, anything is fine..."

On this day, although Guangming Base was destroyed and Shen Mingqian was dead, and Yi Nian was rescued, every member of Qingyun Squad was heartbroken.

Uncle Wang, who was like an elder to them, was truly the only elder in Qingyun Squad, and he was gone just like that. Just thinking about it made them feel inexpressible pain.

They initially thought Yi Nian would wake up soon due to excessive grief.

But after a week, when Lin Wan and the others had exhausted all methods, they still couldn't wake Yi Nian up.

Initially, everyone only thought it was due to excessive sadness, but now that so many days had passed and she hadn't woken up, everyone temporarily stopped grieving the loss of Uncle Wang.

They were all racking their brains to find a solution, but the effect was minimal.

Watching her lie on the bed, growing thinner day by day, her breath gradually weakening, everyone was extremely anxious, wishing they could lie there instead of her!

Since Uncle Wang was gone, Yi Nian absolutely could not suffer any harm.

Dou Dou guarded her side day and night.

Shi Li, besides searching for a solution, stayed with her.

He occasionally ate something just to maintain the strength to take care of Yi Nian.

But Dou Dou refused to eat a single bite of any of its favorite foods that Lin Wan offered.

It only drank a little water every day, and in just a few days, its massive body looked much thinner.

Qingyun Base was shrouded in gloom.

The underground passage of Guangming Base was found, and the end of the passage surprisingly led to a civilian area.

Director Zhang struck while the iron was hot and ordered an investigation, capturing three suspicious individuals attempting to flee.

After interrogation, they were confirmed to be the people Shen Mingqian used to transmit messages to Country M.

The matter of the super virus indeed existed.

The higher-ups took it very seriously upon learning of it and immediately launched a series of investigations.

The commotion caused by Guangming Base and Qingyun Base was huge; everyone in Sea City knew about it.

The leaders of the major private bases went to the Official Base the next day to inquire why the Ability User army had intervened.

Ultimately, Director Zhang held a meeting, and the matter was dropped.

On the eighth day of Yi Nian's coma, Shi Li could no longer sit idly by.

Just as he was preparing to seek out Director Zhang for solutions again, Yi Nian finally woke up.

"ANian! You're awake!"

Shi Li was almost weeping with joy. The usually cold young man's crying was heartbreaking to witness.

Lin Wan and the others also had red eyes again.

"Yi Nian, what do you want to eat? Tell your sister."

Lin Wan asked cautiously.

Yi Nian frowned slightly, her eyes shifting as she looked at the brothers and sisters surrounding her.

There was a brief pause in her mind, as if she had forgotten something important.

Why was she lying in bed? Right, Dad... He...

Dad!

Dad was pierced through the heart by an arrow! Right in front of her! Right before her eyes! The warm blood had even splashed onto her face!

Yi Nian's pupils contracted. She clutched the corner of Lin Wan's clothes, and before she could speak, tears were already streaming down.

The corners of her lips moved, and she asked cautiously, filled with hope:

"Sister, where is my dad? He must be recuperating, right? Yes, yes, it must be like that. Then I won't disturb him, I won't disturb him..."

Seeing her self-deceiving appearance, everyone fell silent for a moment, their hearts twisted with pain.

Noticing their evasive gazes, Yi Nian paused.

She looked at the unshaven Shi Li.

She forced out a broken smile.

"Shi Li, why are you crying? Dad is injured. I should go see him, right? Shi Li, take me to see my dad, okay?"

Shi Li's heart felt as if it had been pierced by a needle.

He thought that his affection for her began with the heartache he felt the first time they met.

His bloodshot eyes were filled with tolerance and tenderness.

He nodded.

"Okay, ANian, I'll take you."

Shi Li held her and walked forward.

When she saw Uncle Wang lying in the ice coffin, Yi Nian seemed unable to even shed tears anymore.

She slid down from Shi Li's arms, looking at him helplessly, hesitating to move forward.

Her pale lips trembled, and she stammered several times, unable to form coherent words.

"Brother Shi Li, is the person lying there... Dad?..."

Although Shi Li was filled with heartache, this fact had to be accepted by her.

He held her in his arms and whispered softly:

"ANian, please accept my condolences. You still have us. You must be strong and let Uncle Wang depart in peace."

Yi Nian was stunned for two seconds before shoving him away.

"Bastard! What are you saying? What condolences! I hate you! Shi Li, I hate you the most!"

"It's my fault! It's my fault for being useless! Why didn't I listen to Sister Lin Wan? Why did I have to care about that damned Bei Bei! If I had listened, I wouldn't have been captured, and Dad wouldn't have died!"

Yi Nian completely broke down. She frantically slapped her own face.

Having not eaten or drunk for a week, she was truly very weak.

Just this burst of heart-wrenching shouting and crying seemed to have exhausted all her strength.

Seeing her swaying precariously and hurting herself, Lin Wan and the others moved to intervene. Shi Li ignored her struggles and rushed to hold her.

"It's my fault, ANian, don't blame yourself, don't hurt yourself!"

Lin Wan and Yue Yue stood behind her, both with teary eyes.

Shen Mo Chi lowered his head, a tear splashing onto the floor, while Ji Chuan gritted his teeth in hatred.

Listening to her heartbreaking cries,

Shi Li felt as if a large hole had been hollowed out of his heart.

She forcefully broke free from Shi Li and stumbled towards the ice coffin.

"Dad! We only lived together for two years! Why? Why are you leaving me again! You broke your promise! You said you would always stay with me, you said you wouldn't let Yi Nian leave you again!"

"Dad, wake up! Yi Nian will listen to everything you say, I beg you to wake up! Yi Nian begs you! It's my fault, I killed you..."

Everyone felt incredibly sad watching her collapse onto the ice coffin, crying until she fainted again.

They all knew she needed this outpouring of grief; holding it in would cause problems.

In this world, perhaps losing something again after having regained it is the most painful loss of all!