Chapter 478

"Ah!" Nina woke up with a start.

She sat up in the pitch-black tent, surrounded by darkness. In the overly silent environment, her heartbeat pounded like a drum in her chest.

The nightmare she just had was bloody. Even though Nina knew she was dreaming, she was still drenched in sweat from fear.

Suddenly, Alvin's voice came from outside the tent, "Nina, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Nina calmed herself a bit before crawling out from the tent.

The temperature on the mountain dropped like winter in the latter half of the night. Wrapped in a thin blanket, Nina still felt the cold seeping in from all directions.

Alvin handed her a thermos, observing her face in the night, "Did you have a nightmare?"

Warm water slid down Nina's throat. Hearing Alvin's question, she recalled the nightmare, "Yes."

Nina found a rock to sit on, staring into the night, her mind completely blank.

She had been trying so hard not to think about Richard. She even felt she was doing well these past few days. So why did she still dream about him? And such a bloody dream!

"Seven-colored flower!" Alvin's voice came from beside her, filled with immense joy.

Nina was stunned for a moment, then quickly walked towards Alvin.

Sure enough, in a crack in a rock, a vibrant flower was blooming.

When Nina arrived, the flower was still a pale white, but within seconds, the petals began to deepen in color.

Alvin excitedly took out his camera for snapping pictures from various angles.

"I missed it last time. I can't miss its bloom this time."

Alvin noticed the silence behind him, seeing Nina staring blankly at the flower, lost in thought.

Just as Alvin was about to speak, a sudden wind rose, and several men in black appeared out of nowhere, surrounding him and Nina.

Seeing these men, Alvin's first reaction was to protect Nina.

But Nina recognized the leader as one of Richard's men.

She had seen him come to discuss matters with Richard several times during her stay at the hotel.

Seeing him here now, Nina didn't need to guess whose orders he was following.

The man walked over to Nina and pleased, "Nina, Richard is injured and in critical condition. Can you come back with me to see him one last time?"

'Injured, critical condition, one last time!'

Each word felt like a stab to Nina's heart.

Her nightmare had come true!

When Nina rushed back to the hotel, the hallway was filled with people.

A crowd stood there, but it was silent. The entire hallway was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

As Nina approached, a doctor came out, his expression extremely grave.

Nina grabbed him and asked in hurry, "How is Richard?"

The doctor met her eyes briefly, then quickly looked away, sighed, and shook his head, "I did my best."

Nina felt like her heart had been torn open, the pain suffocating.

The door in front of her opened, then Nina dragged her heavy feet inside.

There were still a few people inside, not as many as outside, mostly Richard's close associates.

A person lay on the bed, but at this moment, his face was covered by a sheet, lifeless.

Blood-stained cloth and cotton balls were scattered on the floor, the blood almost dried.

Nina walked to the bedside, her knees suddenly weak, and she collapsed.

She grabbed the hand hanging off the bed, holding it tightly, "Richard, you haven't even asked for my forgiveness yet. How can you die?"

She trembled as she lifted the sheet, revealing Richard's pale, bloodless face. Tears burst forth uncontrollably.

Nina lay by the bed, crying her heart out.

"Richard, you bastard! You broke your promise! You said you would make it up to me! I haven't even forgiven you yet. How can you die first? Come back to life! I want you to come back to life!"

Nina cried desperately, not noticing that everyone else had quietly left the room. And Richard, lying on the bed, had opened his eyes at some point.

It wasn't until a hand gently touched her head that Nina paused, lifting her tear-filled eyes to see Richard smiling at her through the blur.

Nina quickly wiped her tears with her sleeve. It was clear now, not an illusion; Richard was really smiling at her.

Nina, still sniffling, thought she was seeing things.

"You're so sad that I died?" Richard's hoarse voice reached her ears.

Nina finally realized she had been tricked by Richard!

She said nothing and got up to leave.

"Nina!" Richard hurriedly sat up, but something pulled at his wound, making him grimace in pain.

Nina turned back to see a large bloodstain spreading on his abdomen.

Seeing the blood, Nina knew Richard was seriously injured.

Panic surged in her heart as she bent down to lift his shirt, "Let me see."

Richard grabbed her hand, his face pale, but he forced a smile, "Why are you lifting my shirt now?"

"I'm not in the mood for jokes," Nina said, "Let me see your wound."

"You're not a doctor."

"I want to see!"

Richard finally loosened his grip.

As the shirt lifted, Nina saw the wound on his body.

A long, deep gash, already stitched up, but still oozing blood.

Seeing Richard's pale face and the veins bulging on his forehead, Nina knew he was in great pain.

"How did you get hurt like this?" Nina's voice trembled.

It seemed Richard's men hadn't completely lied to her. Before she returned, Richard had indeed been on the brink of death.

Nina felt a wave of relief. If Richard had really died, she wouldn't know what to do.

Richard, however, smiled at her, saying lightly, "It's nothing."

"This is nothing? You're lucky!" Nina's eyes reddened.

If Richard hadn't been lucky, he would have met his maker by now.

She was frantic, but Richard was still smiling, as if the wound wasn't on him but on someone else.

"You're still smiling!" Nina, exasperated, punched his shoulder.

But Richard cried out in pain, large beads of sweat forming on his forehead with his face paling even more.

Nina quickly reached out to support him, lifting his shirt to see another wound on his shoulder.

Although not as frightening as the wound on his abdomen, the white bandages wrapped around his shoulder were still soaked with blood, making Nina's heart ache.

Nina dared not touch him recklessly again. "How many more injuries do you have?"

Richard pulled her close, soothing her gently, "It's nothing. I'm fine. Don't worry. I'm not just lucky; I have thick skin. These little wounds can't hurt me."

Nina knew he was trying to comfort her. He was someone who could endure pain, yet he couldn't help but cry out earlier.

"Alright, you should lie down quickly and avoid pulling at your wounds again."

Richard wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her into his embrace and lying down together, "Lie down with me."

Because of what happened earlier, Nina didn't dare push him away and just lay there with him.

Before long, they both fell asleep.

Nina took care of Richard at the hotel for two days, so his injuries gradually improved.

One day, while they were eating, a subordinate came in to report that Alvin was looking for Nina and was waiting in the hotel lobby.

Nina put down her fork, "I'll go see him."

As she stood up, Richard grabbed her arm, his face stern, "Don't go."

"Alvin might need something. Besides, I left him on the mountain that day, which wasn't right." Nina explained.

Richard, still frowning, stood up, "I'll go with you."

"No! You're just getting better, and the doctor repeatedly warned you not to move around." Nina could sense Richard's tension and anxiety. To reassure him, she kissed his cheek, "I'll be back soon."

The kiss immediately softened the coldness in Richard's eyes.

"I'll wait for you to finish eating." Richard let go of her hand.

In the hotel lobby, Nina met Alvin.

To her surprise, Alvin was still wearing his hiking clothes, and even his backpack hadn't changed. His pants and backpack were still muddy.

Alvin looked disheveled, and worn out.

But when he saw Nina, he still flashed a bright smile and walked towards her.

Before Nina could speak, he said, "I brought back the seven-colored flower."

Nina was stunned, "Brought it back? Didn't you say it only blooms for one night?"

They had been in the mountains for seven days, and it would take at least three days to return unless, like her, Alvin had been flown back by Richard's men in a helicopter.

Even so, the seven-colored flower should have withered by now.

Alvin took out a long from his backpack, transparent cylindrical container with the seven-colored flower inside.

At that moment, the petals were transitioning between two colors, with one half red and the other half pink, and the middle part a different color.

"This is its final color transition. I dug it out with its roots and soaked it in chemicals for three hours, preserving its color at this moment forever." Alvin's expression was proud, with a hint of anticipation.

Like a child who had done well and was waiting for praise, Alvin eagerly awaited Nina's amazed reaction and genuine compliments.

Nina was indeed amazed. After hearing Alvin's explanation, she was stunned again, "Is it a specimen now?"

"You could say that."

Nina felt a bit sad, "It's a pity."

"What?" Alvin didn't quite catch it.

Nina shook her head, "Nothing. You did a great job. Congratulations on finally having it."

Alvin had previously mentioned that his biggest regret was not being able to keep the seven-colored flower. If he ever saw it again, he hoped to find a way to keep it forever.

Now, he had done it.

Nina was genuinely happy for him.

Alvin handed her the container with the seven-colored flower, his face slightly flushed, "Nina, before we set out, I made a wish. If I could see the seven-colored flower again and successfully bring it back, I would confess to the person I like."

Before she could say anything, Alvin pulled out a diamond ring and knelt on one knee in front of her, "Nina, I like you. From the moment I first saw you, I liked you. But for various reasons, I never had the courage to say it. Will you be my girlfriend? Will you marry me?"

This sudden scene left Nina stunned.

A few passersby had gathered around, clapping and cheering, "Say yes."

Nina didn't want to hurt Alvin, but..."I'm sorry, Alvin. I can't accept your confession."

Alvin was stunned.

Nina explained, "Before we set out, I also made a wish. If I saw the seven-colored flower, I would forgive Richard."

Alvin's expression froze.

"To be honest, I didn't believe in the existence of the seven-colored flower. I just wanted to give myself a reason to let go completely, leaving the decision to fate. But I didn't expect that we would actually find it."

Alvin's face darkened, and he looked at the flower in the container with despair, "If we hadn't found the seven-colored flower, would you really have left him?"

Nina shook her head, "I don't think I could."

The seven-colored flower was just an excuse. In reality, she had already made up her mind when they set out to find it.

She couldn't let go of Richard.

She loved this man deeply.

So even after seven days of searching without finding the flower, she still planned to go on for another day.

She never had much hope of finding the seven-colored flower. She just wanted to delay for another day, to give herself more time to think.

And it was at that moment that Richard's men found her.

When she learned that Richard was in critical condition, Nina had no more doubts in her heart.

She realized she could never sever ties with Richard in this lifetime.

Alvin looked heartbroken.

Nina said, "I've always seen you as a friend, Alvin. You're a great guy, and you'll find someone special in the future."

Retrieving the ring, he stood up to ask Nina, "Can I hug you?"

Nina gave him a heartfelt hug.

Alvin walked out of the hotel lobby, got into his car, and leaned back in the seat, feeling lost.

Suddenly, his phone rang. He answered it casually.

"Hey, Alvin, how did it go? Did you succeed in confessing? Let me guess. I bet the girl was really moved when she saw the flower. You're so clever, thinking of using the cultivated seven-colored flower to trick her into going camping. By the way, I deserve the most credit for this, right? I risked getting fired to steal that sample from the lab for you! So, how do you plan to thank me?"