「The next morning.」
Inside the natural cave, Gao Lingwei slowly opened her eyes as she sat leaning against the wall. She glanced around and saw that Li Lie and Xia Fangran were already gone. Rong Taotao, however, was still curled up nearby, fast asleep.
Gao Lingwei quietly watched Rong Taotao's peaceful, sleeping face. For some reason, a sense of calm washed over her, as if she'd forgotten they were in the dangerous region outside Qianshan Pass.
A faint panting sound reached her ears. She watched as Rong Taotao's collar squirmed, and a little Cloud Dog's head popped out.
Its small, dark eyes darted around before finally landing on Gao Lingwei's face. The Cloud Dog broke into a goofy grin and opened its mouth to bark.
"Shhh..." Gao Lingwei raised a finger to her lips.
The Cloud Dog let out a little whimper and burrowed its head back into Rong Taotao's collar.
