<h4>Chapter 1043: Chapter 1050: Dangerous Situation (7)</h4>


    Oh no!


    Watching the stones falling incessantly around him, Ling Chen thought to himself that this was not good. The current situation was dire; Zhu Hong must have detonated explosives to st open an exit to escape.


    "Ling Chen, look above!" At this moment, Zhu Xiaozhu, who was on Ling Chen’s back, suddenly cried out in rm.


    Ling Chen focused his gaze and saw that the ceiling of the passage was full of cracks, and those cracks were rapidly spreading towards them, quickly reaching above their heads.


    This is bad! Ling Chen’s heart sank, with no time to think, he quickly carried Zhu Xiaozhu on his back and ran backwards. Just as the two had not run far, they heard a ’rumble’ sound, and the entire ceiling fell from the top, instantly blocking the passage. Moreover, as the cracks rapidly spread, stones began to fall crazily behind Ling Chen.


    At this moment, Ling Chen dared not pause for a moment, running ahead as fast as he could. They kept running beyond thirty meters when the stones behind them gradually stopped falling. Ling Chen stopped, turned around, and saw the passagepletely blocked by stones, making it impassable.


    Now, he could not go find Zhu Hong.


    "Ling Chen, what should we do now?" Zhu Xiaozhu asked worriedly.


    Ling Chen took a breath; at this point, he was unsure of what to do. After setting Zhu Xiaozhu down, Ling Chen advised, "Rest here for a bit, I’ll look around."


    Zhu Xiaozhu nodded and said, "You take care too."


    Walking to the blocked passage beside them, Ling Chen inspected it carefully, frowning. He and Zhu Xiaozhu were trapped in an underground storage room, with passages around it blocked by stones, making them impassable. If this continued, they would eventually perish here.


    Ling Chen turned his gaze to the storage room’s ceiling. Due to the explosion’s aftershocks, the ceiling and the surrounding walls were full of cracks, on the verge of copsing. However, this was their only chance of survival.


    "Xiaozhu,e here!" Ling Chen walked over to Zhu Xiaozhu, helped her up, and led her to a rtively safe corner. Seeing Ling Chen’s actions, Zhu Xiaozhu was puzzled and asked, "What are you nning to do?"


    "We’re trapped here with no other way out, so the only option is to escape from above." Ling Chen hesitated before continuing, "Honestly, I’m not sure if this will work, but it’s our only gamble."


    Saying this, Ling Chen picked up a few fist-sized stones from the ground and retreated to the side. Taking a deep breath, Ling Chen focused his Inner Strength, channeling it into the stones. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he threw the stones directly at the ceiling of the storage room. The cracks on the ceiling quickly spread under the impact, growingrger.


    Bang!


    With a loud crash, the ceiling copsed, raising a cloud of dust. Ling Chen raised his arm to cover his nose, waving his other hand to clear the dust around him. As the dust gradually settled, Ling Chen quickly looked up at the storage room’s ceiling. To his despair, the ceiling had indeed copsed, but the top waspletely buried in stones, with no exit in sight.


    ording to his previous thought, the ceiling’s copse should have provided a way to the surface, but from the current situation, it was packed with stones.


    "Ling Chen, how does it look, can we get out?"


    Upon hearing Zhu Xiaozhu’s voice, Ling Chen gave a bitter smile and walked over to sit beside her against the wall. Seeing Ling Chen’s helpless expression, Zhu Xiaozhu’s heart tightened, and the hope in her beautiful eyes dimmed instantly.


    She lowered her head, biting her lip gently, and asked softly, "Are we... are we unable to get out?"


    Ling Chen forced a smile and said, "Where there’s life, there’s hope. We haven’t reached the point of despair yet."


    "You don’t have tofort me, I know it well. It’s just a pity that I’ve dragged you into this."


    "What are you saying?" Ling Chen replied unhappily, "You’re my friend, of course I have to save you. If we really can’t escape today, it would be my fate, and I would not me anyone."


    Hearing this, Zhu Xiaozhu turned her head, her beautiful eyes filled with tears as she stared at Ling Chen and asked, "Do you really only see me as a friend?"


    Ling Chen was a bit startled, his gaze unconsciously dodging.


    "Xiaozhu, what do you mean by that? Of course, I see you as a friend."


    "Really?" Zhu Xiaozhu sighed softly, a trace of disappointment shed in her eyes. Before Ling Chen could say more, Zhu Xiaozhu fiddled with her clothes, talking to herself, "If it weren’t for my brother back then, perhaps... perhaps we would have been together already. Ling Chen, you know, I’ve never denied my feelings for you. Among all the men I’ve known, you may not be the most outstanding, but you’re the one I have the best impression of. When I chose to give up on you, I returned to Beijing alone, just to avoid seeing you, so I wouldn’t lose Control and think of you. But you always appear when I need help the most, I... I..."


    "Xiaozhu." Ling Chen interrupted softly, "I can’t deny that you’re a kind-hearted good girl, and the first woman to move my heart. But as you said, Zhu Hong’s presence is the biggest obstacle between us. If it weren’t for Zhu Hong, perhaps I would have pursued you back then."


    "Really?" Zhu Xiaozhu’s pretty face flushed, looking at Ling Chen with a hint of shyness in her eyes.


    "Considering the situation, why would I lie to you?" Ling Chen smiled bitterly and said, "In life, things rarely go as nned. Many things we can’t force."


    "What about now? In our current situation, we might die in the next moment. Before death, don’t you want to make up for the past?"


    "Make up?" Ling Chen was momentarily puzzled, then immediately understood Zhu Xiaozhu’s meaning. Indeed, when faced with death, why care about so much? With this in mind, Ling Chen extended his arm, gently pulling Zhu Xiaozhu into his embrace.


    Feeling the warmth in Ling Chen’s embrace, Zhu Xiaozhu’s lips curled into a slight smile. She closed her eyes, quietly lying in Ling Chen’s arms, savoring thisst moment together.


    Listening to Zhu Xiaozhu’s breathing, Ling Chen sighed inwardly, his right hand gently stroking her silky hair. Over the years, he had faced numerous dangers and contemted his end, yet he never imagined dying in such a wretched ce. However... ncing at Zhu Xiaozhu in his arms, Ling Chen smiled faintly. Having such a beautifulpanion, even in death, would be worth it.