The reason is simple: since Xiang Yiting woke up, quite some time has passed, and the hope of survival after being submerged in the water for so long has naturally become extremely slim. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Nevertheless, Xiang Yiting insists on seeing the person alive or finding the body if dead, because after all, that person is her savior.

"How many of you are there?" One person from the rescue team, dressed in uniform and equipped with gear, asked.

Xiang Yiting answered truthfully, "Three!"

Initially, she wanted to inform them about the staff’s deliberate attempt to harm her earlier, but realized doing so would undoubtedly delay the process, and time was the most precious at the moment.

Rescuing the person is the priority; as for the previous ordeal, it can be put aside for now since she is still alive.

Moments later, the person who questioned waved a hand to the back, and several life rescuers equipped like divers were about to jump into the water.

However, just when they were ready to jump, a figure floated up on the water—Xiao Tian, who had previously disappeared.

Seeing the figure dressed similarly to Xiao Tian, Xiang Yiting became incredibly excited, wanting to reach out and pull Xiao Tian over, but was sternly stopped by the rescue team.

It wasn’t long before Xiao Tian was pulled onto the boat by a group of people working together.

After a check-up, one of the rescuers stood up and replied, "No life-threatening danger; it’s just water choking that caused the fainting, and he should wake up soon."

After saying this, the group started searching for the third person Xiang Yiting mentioned, leaving Xiao Tian on the deck unattended.

Xiang Yiting was very displeased with such negligent behavior, but just as she was about to argue, she heard two coughing sounds nearby, and a few droplets of water appeared on her cheek.

In the next moment, Xiang Yiting’s eyes widened, incredibly seeing Xiao Tian slowly waking up, shattering all her previous assumptions.

Staying underwater for so long, yet appearing to suffer only mild choking, had Xiang Yiting, who studied medicine, bewildered.

But she had no choice but to put aside her surprise for now and leaned forward to check on Xiao Tian’s condition.

Xiang Yiting first lifted Xiao Tian’s eyelids, checked his pulse, and confirmed there really was no life-threatening danger as the rescuer stated, finally breathing a sigh of relief as the anxiety lifted.

Could it really be that good deeds are rewarded?

Just as Xiang Yiting had this thought, Xiao Tian lying on the deck suddenly coughed violently, spat out two mouthfuls of water, and finally slowly opened his eyes.

"Am I... still alive?" Xiao Tian asked weakly.

"You’re alive!" Xiang Yiting immediately replied, unable to hide the joy on her face.

"Where am I?" Xiao Tian asked again, though his voice still carried a hint of weakness.

Xiang Yiting hurriedly replied, "We’re on the rescue team’s boat now. Don’t speak yet; wait until you recover a bit more, okay?"

Of course, Xiao Tian was willing; in fact, he truly needed time to consider the next words to ensure a flawless response, so he nodded lightly and closed his eyes as if resting.

However, after seeing Xiao Tian’s demeanor, Xiang Yiting couldn’t help but furrow her brows, sensing something unusual...

...

When they walked out from the police station, it was already late at night. Though the police station provided a midnight snack, neither of them felt like staying to eat.

Since a life was lost in the drowning incident, the nature of the case escalated, and despite having surveillance as evidence, Xiang Yiting and Xiao Tian were taken to the police for questioning.

To prevent conferring between them, the two were interrogated separately in different rooms.

Regarding this, Xiao Tian wasn’t particularly concerned and truthfully recounted the events before Xiang Yiting was pushed into the water, but glossed over his own experience after falling in.

Since he was rescued unconscious, a simple "lack of awareness" sufficed to silence any questions.

"Are you okay?" Xiao Tian asked with concern, noticing Xiang Yiting’s weary face.

Xiang Yiting shook her head to indicate she was fine, yet still appeared worried and distressed.

"Are you worried about your job?" Xiao Tian guessed.

"No, the police have already called the travel agency I work for," Xiang Yiting shook her head, denying it.

Xiao Tian asked, curiously, "Then why do you seem so unhappy?"

It’s almost like stating the obvious since no one leaves a police station with a smile.

But Xiao Tian felt that Xiang Yiting’s behavior related to exiting the police station, though probably wasn’t the main reason.

Xiang Yiting remained silent for a long time, suddenly stopping to say, "Thank you. If you hadn’t saved me today, I might have really died!"

Without expecting an answer, Xiao Tian didn’t mind, reflecting a smile at the thankful Xiang Yiting and said, "You’re welcome. Meeting in a foreign land is already a great fortune; don’t worry too much about it!"

Combining this sentiment with his current persona, he truly embodied the demeanor of a pedantic scholar.

Due to the previous drowning incident and the delays at the police station, leaving with the travel group was out of the question. So, they had no choice but to stay at a temporary accommodation arranged by the police for the night.

After finding the accommodation, Xiang Yiting and Xiao Tian showed their documents at the front desk, received their room keys, exchanged a farewell, and went their separate ways to find their rooms according to the numbers on the keys.

However, as Xiao Tian presented his documentation, he noticed Xiang Yiting sneaking a look at the photo on his document.

This sight unexpectedly triggered a sense of caution within Xiao Tian’s heart.

He certainly didn’t believe she was harboring some odd ideas because he saved her, especially when he currently appeared as Xiao Erren, an unremarkable middle-aged man. This possibility seemed even less likely.

No matter how much he pondered, without any idea of where he might have slipped, Xiao Tian could only chalk it up to the natural curiosity humans feel.

Upon entering the room, Xiao Tian glanced around and found the place, though not tastefully decorated, quite clean and tidy, with facilities like hot water and TV adequately in place. He tossed his bag onto the bed and walked towards the semi-open bathroom.

Yet, just as Xiao Tian prepared to shower, he noticed an oddity with the ceiling light nestled into the wall.

After turning off the ceiling light, the bathroom became pitch dark. Observing for a while, Xiao Tian closed the bathroom door, plunging the tiny space further into darkness.

At that moment, Xiao Tian discovered a faint red light blipping quickly inside the dark bulb...