Stars watched Xiaoran lying still on the ground and quickly ran down.
He knelt on the ground, reaching out to help Xiaoran up. "Are you okay?"
The ground was covered in pebbles. After rolling around, Xiaoran felt pain all over. He rubbed his backside and yelped as he stood up.
"It's nothing, just a bit sore," Xiaoran said, rubbing his arm. He took a step forward, and his calf ached.
Noticing his awkward gait, Xingxing picked up their backpacks and quickly moved to support Xiaoran's arm.
As they walked out of the small hill, Xiaoran stopped. His leg hurt too much, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.
"You sit here. I'll go find a teacher now." Xingxing saw that Xiaoran's leg was injured from his fall. He settled Xiaoran by the roadside, gave him a few instructions, and then ran towards the tents ahead to find a teacher.
After Xingxing disappeared from sight, Xiaoran looked at the desolate surroundings and felt a strange unease.
Why didn't he take him along to find the teacher? Why did he leave him halfway?
Xiaoran wanted to call out to him, but Xingxing was already far away. He sat on the edge of the hill, idly pulling at the weeds on either side of his body.
As time passed, the weeds around Xiaoran were all pulled out. He sighed and looked into the distance.
Why hasn't he come back? Did something happen to him on the way? Xiaoran thought, and with great effort, he stood up from the ground.
He was worried about Xingxing and decided to drag his heavy body towards the tents.
After a few steps, Xiaoran stopped again. He looked down at his ankle, which was now swollen and red. It seemed he had fallen quite hard.
Just as he didn't know what to do, Xiaoran saw Xingxing walking towards him.
"Xingxing?" Xiaoran waved his arms excitedly.
As the person approached, it was indeed Xingxing, but he was alone, with no teacher following him.
Seeing Xiaoran run towards him, Xingxing hurried to meet him.
"Didn't I tell you to sit there and wait for me? Why are you running over?" Xingxing chided.
Unexpectedly scolded, Xiaoran didn't get angry. Instead, he chuckled, "Are you worried about me?"
After they had teamed up to find the red flag, an unspoken understanding had developed between them, and Xingxing spoke to him more.
"We're on the same team. While ensuring the mission is completed successfully, we also need to ensure your safety." Xingxing said earnestly.
Xiaoran was not only his teammate but also Ye Ziyu's child. If anything happened to him, Ye Ziyu would be the most upset.
"I just went to the tent, and the teachers weren't there. I'll help you over now. By the time we get back, the teachers should be back too." Xingxing put Xiaoran's arm over his shoulder, and the two moved forward together.
The practice they had done daily had never made them think it would be used for something like this. Xingxing dragged Xiaoran, taking over ten minutes to reach the tent area.
They were the first to return. Apart from the items left there, there was no one else.
"Where did the teachers go?" Xiaoran asked curiously.
Logically, when they went out to search for the red flag, a teacher should have stayed behind to see who returned first.
Xingxing did not respond to Xiaoran. He found the first-aid kit prepared by the teachers in a box nearby. He applied some liniment to Xiaoran's injured ankle, following the instructions.
The medicine was cool and stung the wound on his skin. Xiaoran involuntarily pulled his foot back, but Xingxing pressed it down forcefully.
"Don't move!"
Xiaoran was afraid of Xingxing's stern tone. Under his stern command, he dared not move wildly.