Take Me Away, My Love - Chapter 15 - Seeking
Once her health improved a bit, Li Minchun began deep-sea exploration, using the excuse that she wanted to familiarize herself with the ocean environment.
The waters around Zhenmu Island were indeed full of dangers. The ocean vortex she had encountered earlier was relatively ordinary. Besides that, Li Minchun even encountered a group of sharks, underwater hurricanes, a swarm of jellyfish, and, most terrifyingly, she came across a volcano crater.
When the volcano suddenly erupted, Li Minchun saw the fiery red lava spewing continuously from the crater, flowing down its slopes and spreading around.
The scorching lava, cooled by the seawater, instantly solidified into black volcanic rock, creating a breathtaking scene. It was so mesmerizing that it was hard to tear oneself away. Had she not ventured into this ocean depth, Li Minchun believed she would never have witnessed such a wondrous phenomenon in her lifetime.
Surfacing from the depths and swimming toward the shore, she spotted her husband and son waiting for her return at the water’s edge from afar.
Her son was now over nine months old.
He had reached the stage where he was just beginning to learn to walk.
However, his body wasn’t yet strong enough, and he’d easily stumble after a few steps. But Jian Yiqing and Li Minchun’s son was not one to easily admit defeat.
After falling, he would get back up without anyone’s help and keep moving forward.
Seeing Jian Qingtian’s wobbly steps, Xiao Ru’s mom couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy and wanted to assist him. However, Li Minchun stopped her and said, “If a man can’t even overcome such things, how can he support his own future? Let him learn to walk on his own.”
Looking at the lovely woman beside her, it was hard to believe that such a firm statement could come from her mouth.
Yet Xiao Ru’s mom found herself agreeing that Li Minchun’s words made a lot of sense.
As a result, Jian Qingtian’s walking had become much more stable.
When he saw his mom climbing out of the water, he released his father’s hand and hurriedly wobbled over to her.
“My dear son, did you miss mommy?” Holding her son, Li Minchun felt as if the whole world had suddenly become wonderful.
Jian Yiqing walked over with a touch of concern. While helping her wipe the seawater off with a cloth, he gently reproached, “Honestly, I don’t know what to say to you. Leave such things to me next time. It’s not safe for a woman to dive often. If something happens, what will my son and I do?”
“You can use the treasures I collect and find a pretty young lady to marry again!” Li Minchun replied mischievously, naturally earning a playful reprimand from Jian Yiqing.
Lately, whenever she had a moment, Li Minchun would go down into the sea. She still hadn’t found the Yuekang Soil she was looking for, not even a trace of the soul-terror grass. However, she did find many other rare treasures, which was a nice unexpected gain.
Today, Li Minchun brought a pile of items to the doctor on Zhenmu Island once again.
The doctor smiled upon seeing her, “What strange treasures have you brought back today?”
Every time Li Minchun returned from the depths of the ocean, she would bring some treasures for him to examine. After getting information about these items, she would keep what she needed and distribute the rest to Xiao Ru’s family, the doctor, and the patriarch.
Over time, many people knew that Li Minchun loved to dive for treasures, regardless of whether she had a specific reason or not.
Li Minchun smiled and tossed a pile of assorted marine plants in front of the doctor, saying, “Help me see if there’s anything I want.”
The doctor carefully examined them but shook his head just like before, saying, “There’s still nothing. The soul-terror grass is red, and the only red plant here can’t possibly be it. I think you made another fruitless trip.”
However, despite the doctor’s words, Li Minchun showed no sign of giving up.
She smiled resolutely and said, “Don’t worry, I will persist. I must save Jian Yiqing.”
“But only a few months are left. I fear you might not have enough time…”
The doctor said, noticing the subtle change in Li Minchun’s expression, and finally fell silent.
For a woman filled with hope, the best thing you can do is encourage her and refrain from discouraging her unnecessarily. That is the greatest gift you can offer her.
“I’m fine, I have plenty of energy,” Li Minchun said before turning away with her treasures.
However, after she turned, her face turned ashen. So tense was she that she didn’t even notice when her fists unconsciously clenched.
She was scared, truly terrified, that one day Jian Yiqing might actually die before her eyes.
That young face and those beautiful eyes, disappearing from her sight forever. In the future, when she wanted to talk to him, it would only be through memories…
This possibility was horrifying and was the outcome Li Minchun feared the most.
Upon returning home, the first thing Li Minchun saw was Jian Yiqing busy in the kitchen. To think that a dignified president would end up in such circumstances-what kind of reaction would the media have upon discovering this?
“Thud, thud…” Just having learned to walk, Jian Qingtian let go of his father’s leg when he saw his mom return and wobbled his way over to her.
Fearing he might fall, Li Minchun quickly scooped up her son, kissed his soft, fair cheek, and smiled lovingly, saying, “Did you miss mommy, my darling?”
Although he couldn’t yet communicate with Li Minchun, Jian Qingtian gazed at her with his big, bright eyes. It seemed, even at his young age, that he understood the woman before him was his closest kin.
Jian Yiqing was too busy to turn around, as he hurriedly added various seasonings to the pot. He said, “Why don’t you wash up and relax for a bit? Dinner will be ready soon.”
Unlike before, this time Li Minchun didn’t obediently follow his suggestion. Instead, she gently wrapped Jian Yiqing in a hug as he busied himself.
Feeling the warmth of the person nestled in her arms, Li Minchun’s face showed an apologetic expression, “I’m sorry, I didn’t succeed this time either.”
Finally, once the fire was put out, Jian Yiqing turned around and earnestly asked, “For years, I’ve had this feeling that you’re hiding something from me. No matter how I ask, you never answer. Now you’re suddenly apologizing. Can you tell me what exactly you’ve been searching for this whole year?”
Looking up, she met his sincere eyes and concerned expression.
Due to the long exposure to the elements, Jian Yiqing’s originally fair skin had become somewhat tanned, giving off a healthy glow. Even the surface of his skin seemed to have roughened a bit, which made Li Minchun’s heart ache.
Gently caressing his face, Li Minchun said with guilt, “You really shouldn’t have to suffer like this. It’s all because of me.”
As she spoke, her eyes began to fill with tears.
Sensing her growing distress, Jian Yiqing cupped her face, forcing her to look directly into his eyes. He then said, “Listen to me. You are my wife, the mother of my child, and nothing will ever change that. So, let’s stop with the ‘I’m sorry’ business.”
“But…”
Though his words were comforting, Li Minchun’s heart still ached knowing Jian Yiqing only had a few months left.
“No matter whether my life lasts for decades or just a few months, I will always be by your and our son’s side. That will never change.”
Jian Yiqing unexpectedly said these words, which left Li Minchun wide-eyed in disbelief, murmuring, “You… you knew?”
Looking at her childlike face, Jian Yiqing smiled and embraced her, reassuring her, “Silly, how long did you plan to keep it from me? Zhenmu Island isn’t that big. How could I not know?”
Hearing Jian Yiqing speak like that, Li Minchun’s tears flowed even more heavily.
It became difficult for her to speak, but with a tense voice, she said, “But, but I really want to extend your life, you know? I hope so much that you can live well, so our family can live happily and healthily forever.”
This was Li Minchun’s heartfelt wish. Back when she was with the Mercenary Group, all she thought about daily was her missions.
She was indifferent to life and death, accepting that even if she was living well today, she might face death tomorrow, and that wouldn’t bother her. As a mercenary, she had always prepared herself for the consequences of a failed mission.
But now, her plans had been completely disrupted by the little baby who was just born and his father.
“We should leave it to fate. The fact that we’ve been given more than a year together is already a special blessing. We shouldn’t be greedy and continue to ask for more, right?”
Even though they said this, Li Minchun and Jian Yiqing still hugged each other, letting their tears flow freely down their cheeks.
Young Jian Qingtian couldn’t understand why his parents were crying, but perhaps he sensed their emotions. His little mouth began to quiver, and he started to cry along with them.
In fact, he seemed even more upset than anyone else.
“Oh dear, what’s going on? Why is the whole family crying like this?”
At that moment, Xiao Ru’s mom approached, carrying a few large crabs. Surprised by the family’s expressions, she asked in astonishment.
Li Minchun and Jian Yiqing quickly wiped away their tears and said, “Xiao Ru’s mom, what are you holding?”
Seeing they didn’t want to talk about it, Xiao Ru’s mom decided not to press further. She cheerfully dumped the crabs onto the table and said, “These are from my husband’s catch today. Enjoy some fresh crabs!”
“Wow, they’re pretty big,” Li Minchun remarked with a smile as she looked at the crabs.
Speaking of crabs, Li Minchun remembered that it was during Xiao Ru’s crab catching that she and Jian Yiqing were discovered. This eventually led to their current happy life.
Thinking back, she handed over some treasures they had found to Xiao Ru’s mom, who immediately and repeatedly declined, seeing it as another of Li Minchun’s gestures of kindness.
“Oh, no, we can’t always be taking things from you. You should keep them for yourselves.”
Li Minchun insisted, “This is just a small token from us. We owe so much to you and your family for taking care of us for so long. And look at the clothes and shoes the three of us are wearing; they were all made by you. Please take these, they’re not of much monetary value anyway.”
Xiao Ru’s mom hesitated to accept, saying, “These are things you nearly risked your life for. Even if you didn’t say it, we know how dangerous it is in the depths of the ocean. We shouldn’t take something that was obtained at such a risk.”
“But I’m perfectly fine, aren’t I? Besides, it’s not as dangerous as people imagine. You might even get a chance to explore down there yourselves one day.”
Hearing this, Xiao Ru’s mom quickly shook her head. “No, no, no. Many people have died diving into the sea. We’d rather live peacefully on the island all our lives.”
Realizing there was truth to her words, Li Minchun stopped persuading her.
Still, she managed to push the treasures into Xiao Ru’s mom’s hands. As they watched her leave, the family couldn’t help but reflect on what truly wonderful people they were.
