To avoid conflicting medicinal effects, Jiang Bai didn't immediately feed Hu Tao all the various medicines he'd bought from Bubu Pharmacy at once. Instead, he planned to give her the next dose after an hour or two.
Hu Tao slept deeply, eyes tightly closed. No matter what Jiang Bai did, she showed no sign of waking up.
Seeing the usually spirited Hu Tao lying so still, Jiang Bai felt his heart clenched by an invisible hand, making it hard to breathe.
After changing out of his sweat-soaked clothes and putting on fresh ones, he secured Hu Tao snugly against his chest with cloth straps and surveyed their surroundings.
There was no source of light here. Without the lumenstone, the darkness was absolute.
He tried retracing their route, wanting to return quickly to the surface.
Gathering Anemo beneath his feet, he unfurled his Wind Glider, holding Hu Tao securely as he ascended.
Yet no matter how far up he went, he couldn't touch the ceiling. Since using Anemo wasn't true flight, he couldn't move straight upward, and without any landmarks in the pitch-darkness, he soon drifted away from his original location.
Seeing no alternative, Jiang Bai created a platform with Geo energy against the rocky wall, temporarily stopping this pointless effort.
He gave Hu Tao another dose of medicine and took out the Sifang Compass.
The Sifang Compass also had a function to locate exits within dangerous places. Jiang Bai glanced around at the seemingly bottomless darkness.
This place definitely counted as "dangerous," right?
Replacing the compass needle with a blank one, he performed a quick hand-seal, causing the needle to spin rapidly before settling on a direction.
But the next moment, as though influenced by something unseen, the needle abruptly tilted 15 degrees to the right.
Jiang Bai didn't overthink it. He adjusted Hu Tao's position and flew off following the compass's guidance.
Not long afterward, ancient stone pillars carved with clear traces of civilization appeared before him.
Perhaps undisturbed for centuries beneath the earth, the designs remained exceptionally vivid, though unfamiliar to Jiang Bai.
After a brief glance, he continued forward until the narrow passage suddenly opened into a wider space.
The darkness here was no longer absolute. Unfamiliar glowing organisms grew along the walls, giving off a faint luminescence. Crystal deposits similar to lumenstone, glowing steadily for thousands of years, lit up the scene clearly.
Jiang Bai's mouth fell open in astonishment.
Before him stood an abandoned palace, remarkably well-preserved, though likely due to some seismic shift, the entire structure lay horizontally in the canyon.
Roads, spires, gardens—all completely intact, aside from their unnatural orientation.
Of course, the plants in the garden had long since withered away.
"The construction quality here is incredible…" Jiang Bai murmured involuntarily.
He quickly descended onto the palace structure.
Checking the compass again, he noticed the needle pointed straight downward, directly at the ruins beneath him.
Jiang Bai raised an eyebrow slightly. Why would the exit lead into ancient ruins?
Instead of immediately exploring, he gently laid Hu Tao down, removing her bandages to inspect the wounds on her back.
Thankfully, after removing the contaminated black flesh, the corruption hadn't spread any further. Jiang Bai let out a relieved sigh.
As long as it didn't spread, things remained manageable.
But as he relaxed, exhaustion rapidly overtook him.
He hadn't slept all night, had traveled continuously, violently smashed through walls, and experienced dramatic emotional swings. If his body hadn't been so resilient, he would've collapsed long ago.
To prevent Hu Tao from getting cold, Jiang Bai wrapped her up tightly like a zongzi, leaving only her head exposed.
He built a fire, boiling water while grinding dried rice, jerky, and peanuts in a stone mortar conjured from Geo. These crushed ingredients were mixed into the pot, slowly cooking into a porridge suitable for feeding Hu Tao later.
The coarse-grain porridge gradually thickened. He sprinkled a pinch of salt for flavor, removed the pot to cool, then set another pot of water to boil.
Hu Tao remained deeply unconscious, without any sign of awakening.
Exhaustion and blood loss had accumulated; sleep was now the best remedy.
Perhaps due to resting, Hu Tao's pale face regained some color, and her bloodless lips began to show faint traces of redness.
Jiang Bai smiled brightly at this improvement. It was around ten in the morning—at this rate, Hu Tao should awaken by tomorrow.
He held Hu Tao in his arms, intending to feed her a little to prevent hunger.
Leaning against his chest, Hu Tao's thick black lashes fluttered slightly. Perhaps uncomfortable, she nuzzled closer into his embrace.
Jiang Bai gently stroked her cheek, unable to suppress his smiling.
After gazing at her face for a while, he nervously glanced around to confirm no one was watching, then quietly lowered his head toward Hu Tao.
Hu Tao's face gradually filled his vision. His heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably from nervousness.
Finally, a warm sensation touched his lips—soft, fleeting, just a quick peck. Yet even so, heat flooded Jiang Bai's face, spreading from lips to ears, coloring him as red as an apple.
He rubbed his face vigorously, trying to alleviate the burning sensation, inwardly despising himself for this shameless act.
As expected, his moral standards were still way too high. Jiang Bai wept inwardly.
His eyes involuntarily drifted back toward Hu Tao's lips, but with difficulty, he forced himself to look away.
Next time—no, in the future—he'd kiss her openly!
He lifted the cooled porridge, carefully feeding Hu Tao bit by bit. Although unconscious, Hu Tao instinctively swallowed every spoonful.
After feeding Hu Tao, Jiang Bai took a clean towel dipped in hot water and gently wiped her face.
Finishing the rest of the porridge himself, Jiang Bai yawned widely and conjured a large stone coffin, placing Hu Tao carefully inside.
He needed proper rest, especially if he was to take the Director safely out of here. Without adequate energy, it'd be impossible.
He considered conjuring a separate coffin for himself but felt uneasy.
This place was still unknown. If he fell asleep and something attacked Hu Tao, what then?
Better to stay together, just to be safe.
With this thought, he made a larger coffin that could comfortably fit two, laid soft padding inside, then carried Hu Tao in and laid her down before slipping inside himself.
As the coffin lid closed, the silence within became almost oppressive. His heartbeat echoed loudly.
Listening to Hu Tao's gentle breathing, Jiang Bai found himself suddenly wide awake.
Well, the Director was unconscious right now anyway. She probably wouldn't notice.
Thinking this, he guiltily inched toward Hu Tao bit by bit, carefully wrapping his arms around her.
Resting his chin atop her soft hair, Jiang Bai finally relaxed, quickly falling into a deep sleep.
After an unknown length of time, Hu Tao slowly opened her eyes, still groggy.
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T/N: AHHHH HE KISSED HERRRR