Chapter 45: I Can Save Him, Can You?
Noticing all eyes on her, Xu Ruming blurted out, "Xu Qingsui, I know you have a problem with Shen Ling’an and me, but you need to separate your personal feelings from your duties. We’re in a dungeon right now. Don’t even think about using your position to settle a private score and harm us."
Xu Ruming’s sharp reprimand was calculated to paint Xu Qingsui as someone who wanted to harm Shen Ling’an.
Xu Qingsui shot Xu Ruming a sidelong glance before turning to Lu Jingyu in exasperation. "This is exactly why I didn’t want to say anything."
Lu Jingyu looked at Xu Ruming coolly. "Medical supplies are already scarce. I’d rather not waste any unnecessarily."
"If you don’t trust Xu Qingsui, you’re a guide too. You can examine him yourself. In fact, that should have been your job in the first place."
Until now, no one had been paying much attention to Xu Ruming.
But with Lu Jingyu’s reminder, it suddenly dawned on everyone that Xu Ruming seemed to have been concerned only with her own well-being.
She and Shen Ling’an were partners, yet she had shown none of the urgency one would expect.
Feeling the weight of their suspicious gazes, Xu Ruming forced herself to step forward.
"I just hadn’t gotten around to examining him yet."
As she spoke, she made to move forward, but the thought of Xu Qingsui’s earlier warning made her hesitate.
But with so many eyes on her, she didn’t want to ruin her image.
In the end, she could only hold her breath, give Shen Ling’an a quick glance while squatting, and then hastily straighten up again.
It happened so fast that many people doubted she had seen anything clearly at all.
"This thing is definitely poisonous, but the current broad-spectrum serums can handle multiple toxins. Using one to detoxify him won’t be a problem at all."
Hearing her words, Xu Qingsui shrugged at Lu Jingyu.
"Are you sure? If he’s still unconscious after the serum is injected, you’ll be the one taking care of him from now on."
Xu Ruming’s expression was awkward. She had no desire to take care of Shen Ling’an.
But at this point, she couldn’t take back what she’d said.
She could only watch as Lu Jingyu called a team member over to inject Shen Ling’an with the serum.
As soon as the serum was administered, a hint of color returned to Shen Ling’an’s face.
Xu Ruming, who had been uncontrollably nervous, became visibly excited at this sight.
"See? It’s working! I was right, wasn’t I? She was just trying to harm Shen Ling’an before, that’s why she said all that."
Xu Ruming crowed, not forgetting to point at Xu Qingsui and continue slinging mud.
Xu Qingsui couldn’t be bothered to respond, her eyes remaining fixed on Shen Ling’an.
But just as the entire dose of serum was administered, Shen Ling’an, whose color had just returned, suddenly began to cough.
After a few coughs, he sprayed out a mouthful of inky-black blood.
As the blood gushed out, the color drained from Shen Ling’an’s face at an alarming rate, leaving him deathly pale.
He instantly looked even weaker than before.
Not only that, but Shen Ling’an’s body began to tremble violently. He started convulsing on the ground, looking like he might lose consciousness at any second.
The turn of events was so sudden that everyone was stunned into silence.
The excitement on Xu Ruming’s face gradually faded to embarrassment, and finally, all the color drained from it as well.
"You’d better pry his mouth open, before he bites his own tongue off."
Xu Qingsui said nonchalantly, her gaze fixed on Xu Ruming.
Xu Ruming snapped out of it. Though she suspected the serum was to blame, she couldn’t admit it now.
"Xu Qingsui, what did you do? He was clearly recovering just now, why did he suddenly get worse? You and Shen Ling’an were childhood sweethearts, after all. Do you really have to be so ruthless and finish him off?!"
Xu Qingsui’s eyes widened. ’What kind of logic is that?’
’Everyone saw what happened. I didn’t do a single thing, and she can still shift the blame to me?’
Xu Qingsui refused to be a doormat. Just as she was about to fire back, Lu Jingyu stepped forward.
"Shouldn’t I be the one saying that to you?"
"You were the one who insisted on injecting the serum. Now that there’s a problem, don’t you think you owe us an explanation?"
Xu Ruming tried to argue, looking at Lu Jingyu with an innocent expression. "Captain Lu, you saw it yourself. His condition clearly improved right after the serum was injected. The situation took a nosedive just now, which obviously means someone sabotaged him behind the scenes. And the only one here with a motive is Xu Qingsui."
"I have eyes. From the moment you stepped forward, Xu Qingsui hasn’t said a word. You refused to listen to her before, and now that things have gone wrong, you’re trying to shift the blame onto her. Don’t you think that’s a bit out of line?"
"Besides, if we’re going to talk about motives, then I’d say everyone here has one."
"After all, the fewer people there are when we clear this dungeon, the bigger the reward for everyone else. That makes you a beneficiary too."
Xu Qingsui looked at Lu Jingyu with admiration. Seeing Xu Ruming’s face flush crimson, she felt like giving him a big thumbs-up.
"I... I..." For a moment, Xu Ruming was speechless.
In that short time, Shen Ling’an’s condition had deteriorated further. His breathing was becoming faint, almost nonexistent.
’At this rate, he’ll be dead and gone in a few minutes.’
Seeing him in this state, Xu Qingsui felt a strange sense of excitement.
’Getting to watch this scumbag die with my own eyes would be a blessing.’
But after savoring the moment for a little while, as Shen Ling’an’s breathing grew ever fainter, Xu Qingsui finally stepped forward.
Seeing her walk toward Shen Ling’an, Xu Ruming, who had been speechless for some time, suddenly found her voice again.
"What are you doing now? He’s already in this state. Don’t tell me you’re going to finish the job yourself?"
Xu Qingsui rolled her eyes at her. "What am I doing? I can save him right now. Can you?"
Xu Ruming froze, once again at a loss for words.
Lu Jingyu watched Xu Qingsui in surprise, confused.
’Doesn’t she hate him?’
’Why would she save him?’
’Could it be she still has feelings for him?’
As his mind raced, Lu Jingyu suddenly felt a pang of... something unpleasant.
He couldn’t quite put his finger on what he was feeling.
"You say you can save him, but why should I believe you? What if you’re just planning to stab him in the back and then claim it was an accident?"
With so many people watching, Xu Ruming couldn’t afford to lose face, so she forced herself to keep talking.
Xu Qingsui gave a cold smile. "I could do nothing and just watch him die. Why would I need to dirty my own hands?"
"Besides, the main reason I’m saving him is to shut you up. Otherwise, who knows what kind of stories you’ll be telling the Shen family about me after we leave this place."
"And let me remind you, you’re not wasting my time right now. You’re wasting what little time Shen Ling’an has left."
Xu Ruming gritted her teeth. Unable to find a retort, she resentfully stepped aside.
Xu Qingsui glanced at Shen Ling’an, then turned to Lu Jingyu.
"Can I borrow your dagger?"
Lu Jingyu paused for a second. Although he still felt a knot of discomfort in his chest, he handed over the dagger.
Xu Qingsui took the dagger, aimed the tip at Shen Ling’an, and walked toward him with a determined look in her eyes.