Tang Meng in Danger

Just as the words fell, Ouyang Xianyu looked completely serious and uttered a single syllable from his lips: "Squeak."

Shangguan Xiao had just taken a sip of water, and before she could even swallow it, she heard this sudden sound burst out from Ouyang Xianyu's mouth. She nearly choked to death!

Throwing her water bottle aside, she beat her chest frantically. Coughing endlessly, she stretched out a hand and pointed a trembling finger at Ouyang Xianyu, wheezing, "Cough, cough... You... cough, cough... just wait!"

Shooting daggers at Ouyang Xianyu with her eyes, she continued to cough violently. She came very close to coughing her heart, liver, and lungs right out!

At this moment, Ouyang Xianyu had been promoted in her mind to the level of someone who deserved a thousand cuts. How dare he pull such an infuriating stunt right while she was drinking water! She really never wanted to pay attention to him ever again!

Unfortunately, Ouyang Xianyu had no idea what was going on in her mind. He hadn't expected that his unintended gesture would actually cause her to cough to such a degree!

He felt immensely guilty and self-reproachful, yet he had no idea what to do to make her feel a little better. He could only stand silently by the side, picking up her water bottle from the ground.

Holding it in his hand, he reached out and gently patted her back, helping her catch her breath in the hope that she would feel more comfortable! By the time she finally stopped coughing, the others had all arrived one after another!

Giving Ouyang Xianyu a fierce glare, Shangguan Xiao lifted her feet and walked off toward another area. Ouyang Xianyu let out a helpless sigh. It was his own fault this time. No wonder she was angry!

He had merely wanted to tease her and make her happy, but he never thought it would backfire so drastically! It was too late for regrets now; all he could do was wait for her anger to dissipate and see how things went afterward!

It seemed he really wasn't cut out for humor. The very moment he tried it out, he had managed to piss Shangguan Xiao off to this extent.

Yet Shangguan Xiao was the kind of person who forgot the pain as soon as the wound healed. Very soon, she was back to her lively, bouncing self, running in circles around the various props!

These must be the obstacle courses often seen on television! The first one was the stepping posts: consisting of five stepping posts, each 30 centimeters in diameter and standing 10 centimeters above the ground.

The midpoints of the three posts on the right were 2.30 meters apart from each other and 30 centimeters away from the centerline of the runway, with the midpoint of the first post located 5 meters from the end line.

The midpoints of the two posts on the left were 2.30 meters apart and 60 centimeters away from the centerline of the runway, with the midpoint of the first post located 6.15 meters from the end line. The stepping posts could be made of wooden piles or concrete.

Surrounded by towering ancient trees, it looked somewhat mysterious, instantly evoking a deep urge in anyone's heart to explore further.

It looked extremely interesting, making even Shangguan Xiao's fingers itch with curiosity! She really wanted to go over and try it out immediately!

The second item was the trench: 2 meters in length, width, and depth respectively. Judging by eye, the walls of the trench appeared to be completely vertical! Looking down from above, it seemed immensely deep, giving off the feeling that once you fell in, you would never be able to climb back out. Anyone with a slightly timid disposition would probably hesitate and refuse to move forward at this spot.

The third item was the low wall: 2 meters wide, 1.1 meters high, and 20 centimeters thick. The hole was 50 centimeters wide and 40 centimeters high, with its lower edge 60 centimeters from the ground, positioned on the left side of the low wall. The low wall was constructed mainly of wooden boards.

This tested a person's jumping ability and individual skill mastery. Without a firm grasp of the technique, there was a high probability of crashing into the wall while jumping, which could easily lead to injury!

The fourth was the high board and platform: (The high board was 1.80 meters high, 2 meters long, 50 centimeters wide, and 5–8 centimeters thick.) The high platform was 1.5 meters high, with a length and width of 1 meter each. The low platform had a height, length, and width of 1 meter each.

The high board, high platform, and low platform were spaced 1 meter apart and constructed of brick and cement. (The high board was made of timber, supported by angle iron.) The horizontal parallel bars were made of steel round pipes, featuring at least 15 rungs with a diameter of 3–4 centimeters.

There were four vertical pillars with a diameter of over 5 centimeters and a height of 2.5 meters. The fifth item was the balance beam: 5 meters long, 1.3 meters high, 20–25 centimeters in diameter, with a bridge surface width of 10 centimeters, and an inclined board 2 meters long and 20 centimeters wide.

The vertical pillars beneath the bridge were spaced 1–1.30 meters apart and painted in alternating red and white colors, constructed primarily of steel pipes. The sixth item was the high wall: 2 meters in width and height, and 20 centimeters thick, constructed mainly of wooden boards.

The seventh item was the low pile net: composed of 12 vertical pillars corresponding in two rows, with a row spacing of 2 meters, a distance of 1 meter between pillars, and a height of 50 centimeters above the ground. Each pair of vertical pillars was connected by elastic material pulled taut to form horizontal lines making up the pile net, and the ground beneath the net was best covered with a soft, cushiony layer of sand.

The vertical pillars were made of steel pipes. After observing all seven items one by one, Shangguan Xiao sat down on the ground. Opening her water bottle, she took sips of water while carefully recalling the composition of each obstacle.

She rehearsed in her mind how she would navigate through these obstacles and what method would save the most time. Leaning her back casually against Ouyang Xianyu, the two sat beneath the shade of a thick-trunked tree.

They watched idly as people in the distance climbed up from the cliff edge below. The scene was breathtakingly magnificent! Tang Meng climbed upward with great difficulty, and finally, she reached the top!

Her exhausted hands pressed flat against the ground, and her legs were already too weary to lift! Dongfang Shuo propped his body up slightly and leaped to his feet. Dusting off the dirt on his clothes, he was just about to turn around to check on Tang Meng.

When he noticed that she looked extremely exhausted and her body was slowly sliding downward! Reacting instantly, he tried to grab her, but it was already too late! He watched in horror as she plummeted downward at an alarming speed!

Even the usually composed Dongfang Shuo could not help crying out in alarm, "Tang Meng!" Meanwhile, Tang Meng plummeted all the way down, her eyes closed tight from sheer exhaustion.

At this moment, she no longer had the capacity for any extra thought! Fatigue had forced her brain into dormancy, and her eyelids were too heavy to open. Yet in a hazy blur, she seemed to hear someone calling her name.

Even so, her mouth remained open, but nothing came out. Her entire body's strength felt as though it had been drained away, stripping her of the ability to move! Beside her ears, the wind howled fiercely.

Her vision seemed shrouded in pitch-black darkness, and she had no idea how to find her way out of this dark abyss. She only knew that she was truly, deeply tired! All she wanted was to fall into a deep, sound sleep, and nothing more.

Shangguan Xiao, who had still been resting in the shade with Ouyang Xianyu, snapped her eyes open the moment she heard someone shouting Tang Meng's name. She caught sight of the exact moment Tang Meng fell off the cliff!

Panicking, she scrambled up from the ground and sprinted toward the edge of the cliff. Without a single moment of hesitation, she grabbed hold of Tang Meng's safety rope!

Pumping every ounce of strength into her hands, she forcefully slowed the descent to a crawl! Disregarding whether she herself might be dragged down along with her, she only knew that her friend was in mortal danger!

Therefore, she had to help her! Clenching her teeth, she pulled backward on the rope with all her might, planting her feet firmly in a horse stance to prevent herself from being pulled over the edge as well.

Because the initial drop carried such massive momentum, the added weight severely strained the rope. The friction tore the skin on her hands, and beads of blood slowly seeped through the fibers of the rope.

Yet she paid no heed to her own hands; the priority right now was to pull Tang Meng back up. Hauling up Tang Meng, who was taller and heavier than herself, was undeniably strenuous for Shangguan Xiao.

And yet, completely disregarding her own safety, under the astonished gazes of Ouyang Xianyu and Dongfang Shuo, she actually pulled Tang Meng up! This could practically be considered breaking a world record!

Shangguan Xiao dropped the rope and rushed over to Tang Meng's side. Gathering her into her arms, she shook her continuously, anxiously checking to see if she had sustained any injuries!

Seeing that Tang Meng's eyes remained tightly shut after so long, her anxiety escalated into sheer panic. She cried out frantically, "Tang Meng! Wake up! Stop sleeping! Wake up!"

As she spoke, tears began to stream down her face. For all these years, Tang Meng rarely even caught a cold or ran a fever, yet this time she was lying motionless on the ground.

Seeing this sight for the first time, Shangguan Xiao was utterly terrified! Completely losing her wits, she could only call out endlessly, hoping against hope that Tang Meng would wake up!

Ouyang Xianyu and Dongfang Shuo finally snapped out of their daze! Although Dongfang Shuo was shocked by Shangguan Xiao's immense strength, Tang Meng's physical condition took precedence now!

So he needed to examine her injuries first! Crouching down, he reached out to touch Tang Meng. To his surprise, Shangguan Xiao fiercely shielded her, blocking him from getting close.

With a helpless expression, he explained, "My family has practiced medicine for generations, and I've studied the medical arts under my father since I was a child. Will you let me examine her, please?"

At this moment, Shangguan Xiao was like a frightened beast, and if not comforted gently, she would surely lash out. Noticing that Shangguan Xiao seemed somewhat defensive toward him, Dongfang Shuo cast a helpless glance at Ouyang Xianyu beside them.

He signaled for him to help speak up, seeing as he seemed closer to Shangguan Xiao. Perhaps Shangguan Xiao would actually listen to his words! Understanding Dongfang Shuo's intent, Ouyang Xianyu walked over to Shangguan Xiao.

Staying close to her, he offered gentle, soothing persuasion: "She's going to be fine! Shuo is a doctor; let him take a look at her. Maybe she'll start getting better right away!"

Hearing the familiar voice, Shangguan Xiao's agitated emotions slowly began to calm. Gradually, she relaxed her tight grip around Tang Meng. She had been far too worried about Tang Meng, which was why she had lost all reason a moment ago!

The thought had kept replaying in her mind: Tang Meng had fallen off the mountain! And then her mind had plunged into utter chaos, rendering her unable to hear anything else.

Ouyang Xianyu naturally understood her feelings. His heart softened instantly, and even his voice grew remarkably tender as he said, "She'll be all right! Didn't you just pull her back up in time?"

Shangguan Xiao threw herself into Ouyang Xianyu's arms, her voice choked with sobs as she wept, "Sob... Tang Meng... She's going to be fine! Sob... She absolutely cannot be hurt!"

Seeing her so heartbroken and distressed, Ouyang Xianyu felt a sharp ache in his chest. Xiao'ai, Hui, Bingling, and Xuexin had also hurried over by then. They looked on with deep worry at the weeping Shangguan Xiao and the unconscious Tang Meng lying on the ground.

Of course they knew what had happened! They hadn't expected that they merely stepped away to the restroom for a brief moment, only to return and find things in this state.

The surrounding crowd had gathered around as well. Tang Meng was usually very easygoing, polite to everyone, and always greeted people with a smile, so everyone liked her very much—and the same went for Shangguan Xiao!

The two girls were both attractive and always willing to help others out. Now, one was heartbroken and grieving while the other remained unconscious. It was truly worrisome for everyone, and all of them silently hoped the two would turn out okay.

After examining her, Dongfang Shuo discovered that her injuries consisted solely of superficial scrapes. Applying some ointment for a few days would make her right as rain! As for why she had fallen into a deep sleep, it was actually due to the overly taxing training schedule of late.

The heavy fatigue had caused her to lapse into exhaustion-induced sleep. She only needed a good, long rest to recover her usual vibrant self. Even so, her luck had truly been extraordinary!

Coupled with the fact that Shangguan Xiao had pulled her back up in the nick of time after the fall, she had miraculously escaped a fatal disaster. With the commotion here being so loud, the instructors were also drawn over.

Upon rushing over and discovering that someone had nearly suffered a fatal accident, cold sweat instantly broke out on their brows! Fortunately, no lives were lost; otherwise, it would have been truly difficult to face their parents. They hurried to have the injured student taken to the infirmary for a thorough checkup!

---End of Chapter---