678: We Have To Go!

We Have To Go!

Compared to the explosive might of the crystal ball, the recoil itself was not actually that powerful. However, at that moment, Lu Yizhou's leg was injured severely and Zeke was literally a dead weight on him. Most importantly, he was holding the cannon with only one hand!  1

As such, the recoil weaved through his body akin to the roll of a fierce tsunami, causing him to fly a distance back. At the moment of weightlessness, Lu Yizhou tugged Zeke into his arms and curled his own body around his lover as they rolled across the rooftop. 

Another gigantic mushroom cloud erupted to the sky, illuminating the world with a blinding glare. Everyone dropped to the ground and covered their heads as the roar of the earthquake shook tremors to the ground under their feet. Gasping, they lifted their heads and tried to see through the thick fume of dust and snow to no avail. 

If… If Lu Yizhou's marksmanship had been accurate, then the entire villa should have been razed flat until nothing remained but ruins!

The blizzard had completely tamed by now, with only pieces of soft snowflakes drifting hazily in the air. The signal, which had been jammed due to the bad weather, was reconnected once again and the plea for help was finally sent to the government.

From afar, they could hear the distinct buzz of a military warship heading their way. It was expected that the appearance of the illegal crystal balls had attracted the government's attention.

The researchers, who did nothing but watch the battle from the sidelines, could not help but shed tears of relief. They hugged each other and rejoiced from the bottom of their hearts. "We're saved…! We are finally saved!" 

They had originally thought that they would be dead meat because the other party had many crystal balls at their disposal. It was obvious that they had come prepared! Who could have guessed that in the end, they would be able to escape unscathed other than some fright and cold?

Dr. Feng had been keeping a close attention to the traitor, not allowing him to come up with any shenanigans. Even when Lu Yizhou fired the crystal ball, he was still holding onto the other person. When the tornado of flame subsided, he finally had the time to look around and asked with panic in his voice, "Where are Lu Yizhou and Zachary?!"

Beside him, Dr. Xiao froze as her gaze zeroed in on the silhouettes of two people laying across the rooftop, unmoving. 

"Cough…" Zeke muffled in a cough as his consciousness slowly roused to the surface. When they were sent flying by the recoil, he was sure that he had blacked out for a second there. The shock wave was too much for him who had just awoken from a coma after three years.

He slowly moved his body in order to regain the feel of his limbs, only to realize that he was currently held in a very warm and protective embrace. This all-encompassing warmth… and these arms around his body… he would not forget it even if he turned into ashes. Zeke froze as realization dawned on him. Lu Yizhou must have been shielding him when they fell! Oh no, his injuries…!

Pupils trembling in fright, Zeke abruptly raised his head to see Lu Yizhou's eyes tightly shut above him. Even then, the man's arms around him remained as solid and stable as ever — as if even in his unconscious state, his body was responding to his natural instinct to protect Zeke from harm…

The thick scent of blood assailed his nose and his eyes rigidly moved to the man's back, seeing more and more blood oozing out to form a small circle around him. In an instant, fear seemed to paralyze his whole body as his field of vision was dominated by bright crimson. The ghastly sight triggered a series of memories deep inside his mind — of all the times he had found Lu Yizhou only to lose him again and again, of the times the man had sacrificed himself silently just to keep him safe, of the time… he hated himself so much for his own uselessness.

He could not even ascertain whether the chatter of his teeth were due to the low temperature of his body or the chill which burst forth from his heart. Tremblingly, he reached out to shake Lu Yizhou's shoulders, trying to rouse him awake. Alas, he was unable to muster a drop of strength and it ended up more like he was kneading the man's body instead.

"L–Lu Yizhou…?" his shaky voice drifted out weakly amidst the rumble of the explosion.

The man was totally unresponsive. His face and lips were colorless, and he lay there so quietly… as if he was going to melt along with the snow and vanish without a trace.

That sudden notion scared Zeke so much that another bout of chills ran down his spine. Gritting his teeth, he forced his shaking hands to move to Lu Yizhou's neck and pressed his fingers on the man's pulse point… 

He almost collapsed from relief when he sensed a series of pulses, albeit weak and slow, beating against his fingertips. He was alive! Lu Yizhou was still alive and breathing! That mere thought sent unparalleled strength to his body. He crawled out of Lu Yizhou's embrace and cradled the man's head on his lap as his eyes darted around in panic. 

His eyes lit up in desperate hope when he caught sight of a familiar figure. "Xiao!" He hollered atop of his lungs to rival the cheers of the jubilant researchers. "Xiao, help!!"

That call of his seemed to have shoved Dr. Xiao's soul back to her body. Just now, when she saw Zeke and Lu Yizhou's unmoving figures, her mind already got ahead of her as she imagined the worst case scenario. She had even fallen into a daze and failed to notice that Zeke was moving around. Once that desperate cry reached her ears, Dr. Xiao's feet moved without her realizing as she rushed toward Zeke and Lu Yizhou.

"Xiao, help… help him!" The vivid desperation, fear and anguish in Zeke's eyes shattered her heart all over again.

No matter what, Dr. Xiao was still an experienced doctor who had once served the royals. Despite the pain gnawing on her gut, she immediately resumed a professional air and dropped to her knees to examine Lu Yizhou's unconscious figure. As her hands moved to remove the man's clothing, she told Zeke in a reassuring tone, "It's okay, everything is fine. Don't be afraid. I am definitely going to save him…" 

However, when she finally saw the extent of Lu Yizhou's injuries, a sharp gasp escaped her lips and her fingers shook violently.

Seeing her like this, Zeke only felt his blood running cold as if ice had merged into his veins. He squeezed out the words through choked throat, "W–What… What's wrong with him?"

Dr. Xiao swallowed hard and her trembling lips parted. However, before she could say anything, someone suddenly rushed to their side whilst gesturing to the sky in fluster. "We have to go!" Dr. Feng almost lost his head due to the continuous fright he had experienced for the past hour. "The army is going to arrive soon! We can't let them see Zachary and Lu Yizhou!!"

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