Chapter 287

No matter what, in this lifetime, William had saved her countless times from danger.

Putting aside all other grievances, if it weren't for William saving her this time, she would have been buried under the rubble long ago.

So, Christina absolutely couldn't just watch William die in front of her!

The sky was getting darker, and William felt increasingly drowsy, his eyelids heavy as if weighed down by stones, making it impossible to open them.

But he still remembered tightly holding Christina's hand, mouthing something silently.

Christina couldn't understand, so she leaned her ear close to William's lips, tears welling up as she finally heard the few words he managed to say.

"Take care... of yourself..."

With great difficulty, William finished the sentence, and then he could no longer keep his eyes open, gradually losing consciousness.

"William, wake up!"

Christina's eyes widened, but no matter how she called out to William, he remained tightly shut-eyed, showing no signs of waking up.

The sky was getting darker, and Christina, who had always been afraid of the dark, felt her heart race with panic as William lay unconscious beside her.

The countryside manor was extremely cold at night, and being in a sparsely populated area, finding rescue seemed unlikely.

There were no thick clothes around to keep them warm, and if this continued, they would both die from hypothermia.

Looking at the disheveled William in front of her, Christina gritted her teeth, took off her heavy coat, and covered him with it.

"William, you can't die!"

Christina's voice was choked with sobs as she warned, "If you die, you'll owe me in this life and the next, and you'll have to repay me in the next life!"

"I know we can't be together, but if you die because of me, I won't allow you to leave me with such guilt!"

She wiped away her tears, rambling on about their past lives and present, afraid that if she stopped talking, her mind would wander.

The temperature kept dropping, and Christina was shivering from the cold, but she didn't take the down jacket off William, wrapping him tightly instead.

"Even if you die, stay away from me. Don't die because of me, do you hear?"

"So wake up now, or I'll leave right now!"

As she spoke, Christina pretended to leave, but suddenly, voices came from above the rubble, followed by the light of a flashlight.

"Is anyone there?"

Seeing this, Christina quickly shouted, afraid that if she delayed even a second, the rescuers would disappear and miss them.

Fortunately, Christina's voice was loud enough, and the rescue team outside soon heard her.

"There's someone here! Come quickly!"

Amidst the sound of hurried footsteps, rescue team members began digging through the rubble.

After about three or four hours, with occasional aftershocks making them cautious, fearing further harm to those trapped, Christina and William were finally rescued by morning.

Christina was exhausted, and William was still unconscious, but thankfully, he didn't seem to be in any immediate danger.

His left leg was stiff from being trapped under a rock for too long, but otherwise, he was okay.

At a safe location, Christina and William were taken to a medical tent for a temporary check-up.

"Doctor, how is he?"

The doctor put down his tools and reassured Christina, "Don't worry, your boyfriend is fine. He's just unconscious. I've arranged for a nurse to give him an IV. Let him rest, and he should wake up in two or three hours."

Ignoring the doctor's use of "boyfriend," Christina focused on the fact that William was okay, finally breathing a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness William was fine. If he had been in danger because of her, she would have felt guilty forever.

"Thank you, doctor."

Watching the doctor leave, Christina sat back down beside William, her thoughts growing more complicated as she looked at his sleeping face.

He had saved her so many times, all in hopes of getting back together with her.

But Christina no longer had the same heart as before. She couldn't bring herself to accept a man who had once hurt her daughter.

Perhaps it was the relief of being back in a safe place, or knowing that William was out of danger, but Christina soon fell asleep in the small chair beside William.

When William woke up, he saw a tired Christina curled up in the chair, her brows furrowed even in sleep, as if she couldn't find peace even in her dreams.

Looking down at himself, William realized that all his wounds had been bandaged.

He was in a medical tent, with several other beds occupied by residents injured in the earthquake.

He tried to sit up, but pain shot through his back, and he collapsed back onto the bed.

"You're awake?"

Hearing the noise, Christina opened her eyes, rubbing her sleepy face as she looked at the now-awake William.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

William hadn't expected Christina to be such a light sleeper. He had only accidentally fallen back onto the bed, and she had immediately woken up.

His heart ached slightly, and despite his injuries, he asked with concern, "Are you hurt from the earthquake? Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine."

Christina didn't avoid William's gaze, calmly shaking her head. "Just some minor injuries. They'll heal in a few days."

"But you, do you need me to call the doctor?"

"No need."

William shook his head, looking at Christina with serious eyes. "As long as you're okay, I'm relieved."

Perhaps his gaze was too intense, and Christina couldn't help but turn her face away, her cheeks flushing, though her heart remained calm.

He wanted to rekindle their relationship, but such tricks wouldn't work on her anymore.

To ease the awkward atmosphere, Christina stood up and walked out. "I'll see if there's anything to eat. You should drink something to regain your strength."

Watching Christina leave in a hurry, William smiled, undeterred.

There were too many misunderstandings between him and Christina. It didn't matter if she didn't like him now.

There was still plenty of time, and William believed he could slowly heal Christina's wounded heart.

When Christina returned, she was holding two sets of disposable utensils and a bowl of plain oatmeal.

"The doctor said you haven't eaten in a long time, so you need something light. Have some to regain your strength."

Christina handed the utensils to William and took the other set for herself, sipping the oatmeal slowly.

"My hand hurts, I can't hold the spoon."

William pouted, looking at Christina with a pitiful and helpless expression.

Christina sighed. If it were the old her, she might have given in.

But now, she simply said, "If you can't hold it, wait a bit. The oatmeal is still hot."

Her words made William's heart ache, and sadness welled up uncontrollably.

"But I got hurt protecting you. Are you really going to let me starve?"

The medical tent was crowded, and an elderly woman on the next bed saw the scene and couldn't help but tease.

"Did you have a fight with your boyfriend?"

Christina was taken aback, instinctively denying, "We're not a couple..."

"Alright, I get it, you're still mad."

The elderly woman smiled knowingly. "Your boyfriend is already making concessions. Besides, it was an earthquake. He protected you the whole time. No matter how angry you are, you should let it go."

The elderly man beside her also chimed in with a smile, "Yes, you look like a couple in love. It's normal to have little arguments, but don't let it affect your relationship."

Others in the tent joined in the teasing.

"Ah, young love. My boyfriend used to coax me to eat too, but now we're old!"

Some of the residents were locals, while others, like Christina, were from Valoria, and most could speak the language.

Embarrassed by the teasing, Christina glared at the smirking William, reluctantly taking the utensils from his hand and feeding him the oatmeal.

William looked pleased, but seeing Christina's unhappy face, he obediently lowered his head and ate.

After finishing the oatmeal, Christina hummed and borrowed a phone to call home and let them know she was safe.

Fortunately, the earthquake wasn't too severe, and after a few hours of aftershocks, it finally subsided.

Christina and William were temporarily housed in an apartment provided by their partners to recover.

Their business trip would have to wait until William was well enough to continue.

Their partners were understanding, knowing that the earthquake was an act of nature and that the collaboration wasn't urgent.

So, besides resting and recovering, Christina and William had some extra time to explore and relax, treating it as a chance to unwind.