Chapter Ten: A Kiss Beneath the River

If the White Skull opened fire quickly, the female soldier would most likely be hit by a bullet, putting her in grave danger. Without a second thought, he turned and threw himself on her, pulling her down toward the riverbed, murmuring, “Dive.”

He dragged her under swiftly, and she too had seen the White Skull aiming the Barrett M82A1 sniper rifle at her. She nodded rapidly at Qin Feng, knowing they were unarmed, so their only option was to sink quickly to the river’s depths.

As they dove beneath the surface, a shot rang out—a fierce, howling sound that seemed to tear through the air, violently targeting where the female soldier had just been. The bullet struck the water, skimming just above their heads. The destructive force of the Barrett M82A1 was terrifying; it could pierce even thick tree trunks with ease. Both felt a chilling sense of danger, as if Death itself had brushed past them.

Qin Feng held the female soldier tightly, afraid she might be struck by a sniper’s bullet. She, too, sensed mortal peril and clung to him as they swam swiftly along the riverbed.

“Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!” Several sniper rounds continued to rain into the water. Perhaps the White Skull, seeing no blood rise, knew he hadn’t hit Qin Feng or the female soldier and fired several more angry shots. None struck their targets.

By now, they were almost at the riverbed. It wasn’t very deep, but neither was it shallow, and its tangled twists made it treacherous. Suddenly, the female soldier’s foot became ensnared in some underwater vines. No matter how she struggled, she could not break free.

As she fought, her air ran out and she gulped in river water, putting her life at risk.

She had no idea how long she’d struggled. As her oxygen depleted, her life flashed before her eyes, memories flickering like scenes from a film.

Was this the end? She had never fallen in love, never kissed a boyfriend—could this really be how she died?

Qin Feng noticed her struggling and realized she was out of air, bubbles streaming from her lips. If she kept thrashing, it would stir up sediment, alert the White Skull to their position, and draw more gunfire. He had no time for other thoughts; the female soldier needed oxygen.

He acted instantly, swimming to her and pressing his mouth to hers, breathing air into her, stopping the water from flooding in.

She had barely felt anything before, numb from the river filling her mouth, but now, as Qin Feng kissed her, sensation returned. She was startled, wanting to open her eyes to look at him, but underwater, she could hardly do so. Was he taking advantage of her? She bristled, trying to push him away, but couldn’t. Then she realized he was giving her oxygen, not exploiting her, and understood she’d misjudged him.

He was saving her.

With Qin Feng’s air, she felt much better, gradually regaining her composure and no longer pushing him away. It was her first kiss with a man; she’d imagined it might happen in a jungle, in the sky, or at sea—but never at the bottom of a river. It was wholly unexpected.

She had no idea how much time passed before the gunfire ceased and the White Skull seemed to have fled. Qin Feng released her lips, having no thought beyond rescuing her, then swam to her trapped foot, drew his combat knife, and cut the vine.

They drifted downstream with the current, emerging from the riverbed after more than a hundred meters. Once sure they were safe, they crossed the river rapidly and scrambled ashore.

The female soldier showed no emotion, hiding in the woods, pulling out her backpack to quickly assemble her Type 95 sniper rifle. Qin Feng began practicing his cultivation method to recover his strength, a technique taught by Old Qin that rapidly restored his energy and stamina. Within moments, he was revitalized. He reached for his backpack, grateful it hadn’t been lost—otherwise, he’d be defenseless, and with enemies still in the jungle, that would be dangerous. He hurried to assemble his own rifle.

“Thank you for saving me just now,” the female soldier said in her usual icy tone as she came to Qin Feng’s side, just as he finished setting up his gun.

Qin Feng nodded gently, speaking quietly, “Are you alright? I noticed you were out of air, so I did what I had to. Please don’t take it amiss. Let’s keep chasing those bastards.”

That underwater kiss had been his first with a woman; at the time, he’d only been concerned with giving her oxygen, not savoring the moment.

“What’s your name?” she asked, not blaming him. She knew the situation had been dire—if not for Qin Feng’s intervention, she might have drowned. She felt she needed to know more about him.

“My name is Qin Feng. And yours?” he asked.

“Su Yun. Su, as in Suzhou; Yun, as in melody,” she replied.

“Su Yun—such a poetic name, full of grace. So, we have the basis for trust now. That’s a good thing. You seem fine now. What happened underwater was an accident; I hope you won’t dwell on it. Come, let’s pursue the enemy. We must not let them escape across the border.” Qin Feng smiled, picked up his Type 88 automatic rifle, and strode ahead.

Su Yun watched the river, recalling the moment Qin Feng had kissed her to give her air. Her face flushed scarlet as she looked at him walking in front of her, a hint of warmth melting the icy mask she usually wore. Her cheeks burned, knowing it was Qin Feng who had saved her, and her eyes shone with gratitude.

Su Yun was a soldier, trained in emergency procedures. She knew how to share her oxygen underwater—something ordinary people couldn’t easily do. She understood it had been Qin Feng who rescued her, and for the first time, warmth broke through her cold expression.

She felt that Qin Feng was truly caring, saving her at a critical moment; otherwise, she might have perished in the riverbed. She realized that, at times, Qin Feng was a true man, and her heart swelled with gratitude for him.

“This guy really is different,” Su Yun thought to herself. She seemed to feel something for him, took a deep breath, collected her emotions, and walked forward.