Xiao Jingran wanted to make sure that there were no insects which had bitten Xiao Yuxi, considering that she stayed in the area for quite a long time.

"Eldest Brother, don’t worry, I am fine." Xiao Yuxi shook her head. "I also fell down to the same place as Second Brother, but thanks to him and a kind older sister. They helped me get out of there quickly before the insects attacked."

Xiao Fenghao must have accidentally provoked an insect nest when he was down there. He had spent a longer time there compared to her, after all.

The men set up the tent, and some went to hunt in the area nearby. They were about to catch a wild pheasant for dinner before, but as soon as Xiao Xue appeared while bringing the news, they abandoned the hunt and followed the cat.

"Xiao Xue is a smart cat. It knows our scent, and it’s probably aware of what’s going on, so it’s trying to lead us to Hao’er and Xi’er," Xiao Jingran had explained to the group of bewildered men.

He could tell they had some doubts, but they still followed the little white cat’s lead. As a result, when they truly found Xiao Fenghao and Xiao Yuxi’s location, they were utterly shocked.

As they stayed beside the fireplace, Xiao Yuxi began to recount what she had experienced. Considering that Shen Yaojin might be uncomfortable having her name mentioned, she deliberately didn’t tell them her name.

Xiao Yuxi started her story, beginning from the moment they were chased by the bear until they fell down to the underground place, Shen Yaojin’s help, and ended it with the bear finding its cub.

"There should be more of such traps in this mountain," one villager suddenly said.

Village Head Su nodded, his face turning solemn. "Be careful when you walk, don’t stray off the path."

The atmosphere became a bit subtle, and they no longer dwelled on the topic. Zhou Wenzhi turned to Xiao Jingran who had finished taking care of Xiao Fenghao, wrapping the younger man’s bruises tightly in some cloths.

"Jing’er, how is your brother’s condition?" He asked.

Xiao Jingran immediately answered, "Hao’er condition will need a while to stabilize, waiting for the medicine to take effect."

"There are multiple sting marks from scorpions and centipedes on his skin, and considering the number of the marks, the amount of venom injected to the body is a bit troublesome."

"Hao’er will be unconscious for a couple of days since the scorpion venom has paralyzing effects. Even if he regains his consciousness, he wouldn’t be able to move his body temporarily," Xiao Jingran finished explaining.

Zhou Wenzhi sighed, staring at his grandson with some heartache.

"Eldest Brother, Grandfather, isn’t it best for us to go back quickly?" Xiao Yuxi proposed. "Mother and my sisters must have been worried. If they could see us, at least they would feel somewhat relieved."

The two became quiet after she said these words, and Xiao Yuxi became confused. Did they not hear what she said? Perhaps... she was so tired that the volume of her voice became too low?

Zhou Wenzhi sighed again and rubbed his temples. "We will have to continue our search after this."

Which means that they would need to stay in the mountains for a while.

"Searching for... who?" Xiao Yuxi widened her eyes. Who else is missing? "Is it also because of that bas–" she hurriedly covered her mouth, glancing at Zhou Wenzhi and clearing her throat. "I mean... is it also because of Eldest Uncle?"

It was Xiao Jingran who answered her question. "After Eldest Uncle came to our house, Mother also went to search for you and Hao’er without waiting for us first."

Upon hearing that, Xiao Yuxi’s face became deathly pale. "Mother..."

Xiao Jingran’s large hand touched her head. "We will stay here for a while. It will also give Hao’er time to recover."

Xiao Yuxi bit her lip. She grabbed her eldest brother’s arm almost helplessly. "Are we going to search for Mother after this?"

"I will go with the search team. You stay here and take care of your second brother," Xiao Jingran said.

Zhou Wenzhi and Village Head Su would remain in the camp too. They were already old and their bodies couldn’t keep up physically.

"Alright, alright," Xiao Yuxi nodded vehemently. "Stay safe and don’t get lost too, Eldest Brother."

She found it quite worrying that the search time also hadn’t chanced upon Zhou Anran during their search, but she forced herself to think more calmly.

Xiao Jingran and the search team take a few more minutes of rest before they finally set off again.

***

In another location, Zhou Anran found herself slowly regaining her consciousness. Her head was painful, as if someone was hammering it.

The last memory she had before she fell unconscious was the fact that she had fallen down. The land beneath her feet crumbled because of landslides, and she could feel her life flashing before her eyes.

She thought she would die... but the painful sensation all over her body meant that she was actually still alive, right?

It was such a relief...

She just didn’t know where she was.

The moment Zhou Anran tried to move her limbs, she winced. It was painful. However, she slowly could move her limbs although they still feel sore.

Her eyesight also returned, and she could see that she was in an unfamiliar place. Judging from the decorations around, even though she didn’t know their true worth, they all seemed expensive.

"Lady, you are awake!" A girl entered her room with a basin of water.

"Where..." she croaked, frowning at her own voice. Before she could finish her sentence, however, the girl already ran outside.

"The lady is awake!" She announced as she slammed the door open.

Although it was brief, Zhou Anran still caught the sight of the scene outside. Her pupils constricted and her breathing became indescribably heavy.

She saw that face again.

Her husband, Xiao Wei.