C3 Shallow Breathing

"Mo Jingyao, are you really awake?" Yu Se straightened her back in disbelief. Did that mean that her methods actually worked this time? Her fingertips grazed across his lips. They were warmer now–that she could tell, and they were soft to touch too. Was he actually awake then? Or was her mind playing tricks on her?

She gazed at the jade necklace around his neck before glancing at the mark on her arm. It seemed that everything that had happened a few minutes ago was real, that she hadn't imagined a single thing. His chest was rising and falling even more steadily than it had been a few seconds ago, but he didn't look like he was conscious. "I–he's alive," she murmured. "He's actually alive. I can live..."

However, the force that she had a while back had already been depleted to nothing. Perhaps, if she had a bit left inside her, he would've woken up by now. And they might've found a way to break out of here together. As she stared at his form, she slowly shook her head, pushing the thought to the back of her mind. That didn't matter.

As long as he was alive, she was safe.

Bang, bang, bang! Yu Se repeatedly slammed her fists against the lid of the red coffin. "Let me out!" Her screams deflected on her as it echoed across the very small space. "Mo Jingyao's awake! Please, let me out! He's alive! He's alive! See for yourself." Although she heard no replies, she persisted, yelling and screaming for them at the top of her lungs.

In order to survive, she needed to be strong.

"Madame, the Young Mistress said that the Young Master had woken up." Outside the red coffin, Mo's assistants were about to refill the pit with soil when they heard faint banging noises from below them. Upon hearing the young woman's words, one of them immediately stopped what he was doing and stood up to inform their boss.

Luo Wanyi's eyes watered with grief. "I also want Jingyao to live more than anybody, but..."

"Please, if you'd give her a chance." Yu Jing'an was the next one to come forward. He glanced at the pit almost hesitantly, before lowering his head. "My daughter–she has never been the one to cause trouble like this for no reason, and she certainly hasn't lied before. Perhaps...Maybe there's a chance she's telling the truth."

"Yu Jing'an, I've already given you a hundred million for your daughter's hand." Her steely eyes turned to him, causing him to stiffen. "What more could you possibly want? Having a son-in-law like my son? Now, that's a fortune you could never let go of, couldn't you? Now, step aside, and let them do their jobs."

The old woman had seen the way his heart monitor flattened right before her eyes. He had stopped breathing. It was over for him–that was something she had been purely certain of. It would've been impossible for a dead man to be resurrected. This could be another trick Yu Se was trying to pull to escape, and Luo Wanyi wasn't going to take any chances.

"Jingyao can't be alone." She finally raised her hand. "Continue."

At their boss's command, the assistants immediately resumed as if nothing had happened. They had sealed the red coffin and started to repair the tomb, turning a deaf ear from the woman's desperate shrieks.

The woman had banged the door so hard that it had echoed across the yard. Not bearing the listen to this misery any longer, all the assistants were quick and efficient, making sure that they had buried them deep enough that her screams couldn't be heard anymore. During the process, their heart had ached for the couple, but they could only pray for the best. It wasn't as if they could do much anyway.

Luo Wanyi stared at the photo she had taken of Mo Jingyao and Yu Se. Their separate photos were placed on top of the tombstone, with a bunch of white chrysanthemums neatly decorated across the grave. "At least you're together," she said sadly. Wiping her tears, she finally left.

The cemetery had reverted back to silence.

Yu Se's bloody fists landed heavily against the lid, but it was still to no avail. No one had responded to her screams, and the longer she had lasted in there, the worse her breathing became. She squeezed her eyes shut, and her chest heaved up and down. Her vision was growing even more blurry by the second.

Perhaps she had been crying out a little too much that their air supply was already running out.

Upon hearing the dead silence, it would be useless for her to shout any longer.

Her shoulders sagged in defeat.

There needed to be a way out of this coffin!

The Nine Meridians Eight Veins Method would've been effective, but it would be impossible for her to learn it all in one day. In fact, the shortest time she could learn it would be a month if she was lucky.

No! Yu Se shook her head.

By the time the month had passed, she would've already been a skeleton.

The Nine Yin Sutra was another method. It would take her around five minutes to complete, given her level of experience now, but it may damage all her internal organs. After using this technique, she could resume practicing the Nine Meridians Eight Veins Method two hours every day to mitigate and repair the damage she had caused. It would be dangerous, but efficient. She glanced at the man beside her, finally making her decision.

Although the latter would damage her internal organs, it would still give her a better chance of escaping this mess. It was either that or she'd be granted to an easier death. Either option would've been a win for her. She took a deep breath and readied herself.

Five minutes later of scraping and punching, Yu Se had punched open a new hole into the newly paved grave. She breathed deeply, and a sharp pain coursed through her veins. "Fuck!" She breathed out, wincing. Even with the burning sensation, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as the cool air greeted her skin.

She was free. They were finally free.

Glancing at Mo Jingyao, she hesitated. A part of her wanted to leave him there, but if the Mo Family had discovered her escape, they wouldn't stop at anything just to find her and bury her back into the tomb.

Well, it was better than accompanying a dead man. At least, if she brought him back in one piece, she may be able to earn the family's respect. "Maybe they wouldn't be throwing me back to the grave after this," she murmured, her voice was dripping in sarcasm. At this point, it wasn't as if she had any other choice.

Yu Se carried Mo Jingyao all the way to an old hut at the other end of the cemetery. Although exhausted, she persisted, thankful for the cool breeze that had kissed the sides of her cheeks. He was a head taller than her, and to carry his dead weight felt like torture for her. 'Just a bit more,' she thought. Once she had reached the steps, she quickly pushed the cabin open. "Uncle! Do you mind lending me your phone?" She glanced at the first man she had seen.

"Miss, what's going on?" Seeing the two stumbling into his household, the man furrowed his eyebrows. However, he didn't think much of it. After all, the Mo Family had just left. They were probably a pair of passersby. "Did something happen? Why are you all covered in dirt?"

She smiled. "He got lost in the mountains, and I think he passed out from hunger. I was wondering if I could borrow your phone to call my family to see if they could come and pick us up."

The man readily agreed. It was out of luck that Yu Se had remembered the Mo Family's phone number. Not hesitating, she quickly dialed their number. "Mo Residences, who's calling?"

"I'm Yu Se, Jingyao and I are together. Do you mind sending a car to pick him up–"

However, before she could even continue, the Mo Family's servant had hung up.