Chapter 288


    Chapter 288 I’ll Wait for You


    After adding firewood and enduring the light rain, I picked up a lot of drywood nearby and piled it next


    to Charlie. I snapped branches and used them to shield him from the wind. Worried about heavy rain, I


    also stacked some stones nearby. Fortunately, the ce I chose was a partially open cave. Although it


    was different from thepletely sheltered cave we hadst night, with the help of branches and


    stones, it could still provide shelter from the wind and rain.


    Once everything was set up, I checked on Charlie. He still had a sweaty forehead, and the clothes on


    him were damp, emitting some mist due to the fire in front of him.


    “Mr. Yates,” I called out to him. He was shivering severely but managed to open his slightly and asked


    hoarsely, “What’s wrong?”


    Seeing him like this, I could not help but feel even more guilty. “Are you okay?”


    eyes


    He looked at me, and after a few seconds, he noticed the fire in front of him. He looked at me and


    asked, “Did you start it?”


    I nodded and reached out to touch his forehead, which was still very hot.


    He managed a faint smile. “I didn’t expect you to have this skill.”


    Relieved that he could still muster some humor, I said, “We might not be able to get out of here for a


    while. Stay here, and I’ll go look around for food or water sources nearby.”


    He looked at me, his ck eyes revealing a hint of confusion and wariness. I did not understand why


    he suddenly had this expression and asked, “What’s wrong?”


    He hesitated for a moment and shook his head slightly. “It’s nothing. Go ahead; I’ll wait here.”


    I nodded, added more firewood to the fire, and looked around before turning to leave. However, I had


    not gone far when I heard Charlie’s deep voice, “Yvette.”


    I stopped in my tracks, turned to look at him, and saw him smiling from a distance. His voice was


    hoarse as he said, “I’ll wait for you toe back.”


    This text is ? N?velDrama/.Org.


    I was stunned, and for some reason, this moment felt so familiar. It was as if I had experienced the


    exact same conversation before. Five years ago, after Lucas and I fell off the cliff, he injured his leg,


    and I had wounds on my abdomen. In the primitive forest, I initially wished for his death, but we ended


    up having to huddle together for warmth in the deserted woods.


    He had grown up in the mountains along the border, so he knew how to survive in the forest. However,


    due to his injured leg, he could not walk, so he directed me on how to survive and find our way out of


    the forest.


    I remember the day when Lucas and I got separated; it was a simr scene. I went out to find food, and


    he called me from afar, telling me, “Yvette, hurry ande back.”


    Only that time, I did not return. While searching for food, I was bitten by a snake but luckily


    encountered border patrol personnel. Hearing me speak fluent English, they took me down the


    mountain and saved me.


    The day I woke up, I had already been brought to a border town in our homnd. I did not mention the


    malicious criminal still in the mountains to anyone, nor did I reveal that I


    dragged someone down the cliff with me when I fell.


    During those days, I never told anyone about it. In my heart, I hoped that Lucas would die in the


    mountains and his bones and blood would only serve as offerings to the ancient trees there.


    However, I never thought that he would reappear five yearster, perfectly unscathed. Fortunately, he


    still ended up dead, lost at sea when the yacht exploded, bing one with the ocean.


    Looking at a face so different from Lucas‘, or rather, apletely different person, I snapped back to


    reality and smiled at Charlie. “Okay, you wait for me. I’ll be quick.”


    He nodded but just watched me from afar, his gaze distant and profound.


    Living off thend was something passed down through generations. I owed my knowledge of


    wilderness survival skills to Lucas. I knew what was edible in the mountains, what wasn’t, how to find


    water sources, and how to make simple water–collecting tools.


    While heading out, I left markers along the way, so my return trip was swift.


    Upon my return, Charlie was still quietly resting by the fire. His gaze seemed somewhat vacant. He had


    not fallen asleep, which surprised me. When he saw me, he paused for a moment, then looked at me


    intently. His voice was hoarse as he said, “You’re back.”


    I nodded and felt quite satisfied with my findings. I held up what I had in my hands. “Look, I found food


    and water, and I also found some pain relief and anti–inmmatory medicine.”