Chapter 283: Nina

The air grew steadily warmer, and a faint smell of sulfur began wafting through the tunnels. After climbing through yet another narrow opening, a dim light appeared ahead. Wu Qingsong, who hadn’t seen even a flicker of light in what felt like an eternity, nearly cried out in astonished relief.

“Nina, do you see that? Hold on! Just a little longer!” he shouted, clutching her fragile body tighter.

He stumbled forward, drawn toward the faint glimmer like a moth to a flame.

The sulfuric scent grew stronger, and the rising heat pressed against his skin. Slowly but surely, the dim light grew brighter, illuminating the tunnel with a faint orange glow.

Then, his foot suddenly slipped, nearly causing him to fall. It took a moment for Wu Qingsong to realize what had happened. He had stepped onto the edge of a patch of moss-like fungal growth that coated the ground.

He carefully set Nina down and frantically searched through the fungal bed. His trembling hands brushed against a small, squirming creature. Without hesitation, he grabbed it, crushed it between his teeth, and quickly fed the pulpy remains into Nina’s mouth.

“Swallow it! Please, Nina, swallow it!” he urged, his voice shaking with desperation.

The faint glow of Silvermoon energy around her body flickered weakly. The bug’s flesh and fluids couldn’t restore her strength instantly, but they brought a spark of life back into her. It was enough—enough to cling to hope.

Wu Qingsong doubled his efforts. He scoured the moss, frantically pulling out more of the wriggling creatures. Each time he found one, he repeated the same process, feeding Nina more and more of the small, slimy insects.

Nina’s stomach couldn’t handle much food at once. After feeding her several times in a row, Wu Qingsong finally stopped, realizing she needed time to digest. He then turned to the remaining bugs, crammed them into his mouth, and chewed furiously before forcing them down.

It wasn’t food in any normal sense, but after going so long without eating, even these spicy, bitter morsels felt like a feast, filling his aching stomach and renewing his energy.

“How do you feel? Do you want some water?” Wu Qingsong asked gently.

Nina shook her head faintly, her hand weakly reaching for his. Though her grip was barely there, Wu Qingsong could tell—she was coming back to life.

Overcome with relief, he impulsively pressed her hand to his face, his lips brushing softly against her fingers in a rare, vulnerable moment of gratitude and joy.

Worrying about pushing her too hard, Wu Qingsong decided not to venture further just yet. He stayed close to the area, gathering dried fungal moss to use as fuel. After painstakingly building a small fire, its flickering warmth finally chased away the cold that had haunted them for days.

Feeling emboldened, Wu Qingsong searched for larger prey. Using the weak soul fragments floating around the area, he shaped them into weapons and launched them into the shadows. Before long, his efforts paid off, and he managed to capture several palm-sized beetles.

The insects looked bizarre—either eyeless or sporting multiple enormous eyes. Most of them were swift crawlers, darting across the ground with startling speed. Without the ability to harness soul fragments, Wu Qingsong doubted he’d have been able to catch them at all.

He wasn’t sure if they could be classified as intelligent subterranean creatures, but it didn’t matter. What mattered was that they were rich in meat and fat—exactly the kind of nourishment Nina desperately needed.

Their exoskeletons served as excellent makeshift containers for water. 

Though their poor heat conduction made it impossible to directly boil anything over the fire, Wu Qingsong improvised. He used a trick he’d once seen on television. He heated rocks until they glowed red, then placed them into the liquid inside the shells. Once the stones cooled, he reheated them and repeated the process until he had a steaming broth. Carefully, he spoon-fed the warm soup to Nina.

Her strength began to return, and soon she was able to activate her Silver Moonlight healing ability to dispel the lingering weakness and ailments in her body. Within hours, her health was nearly fully restored, though she still felt physically weak and mentally drained.

For the first time in days, Wu Qingsong allowed himself to relax. While Nina rested and continued eating, he gathered soft, dry fungal moss, arranging it over a flat stone near the fire to create a makeshift bed. He hoped she could finally sleep comfortably.

But Nina lowered her head, seemingly hesitant.

“Nina?” Wu Qingsong felt something was off.

“Wu…” Nina seemed to make a great decision and suddenly raised her head.

Wu Qingsong was startled as she crawled toward him and awkwardly pressed her lips to his in a kiss.

“Nina…” he murmured. “What’s this? Your body is still—”

“Don’t talk…” Nina whispered softly, almost like a plea. “Don’t say anything.”

She kissed him again, clumsily but earnestly. Wu Qingsong stopped hesitating, gently embracing her and responding to her kiss. He then carefully picked her up and laid her down on the makeshift bed of soft moss he had prepared earlier.

If Ram was like a blazing, passionate flame, and Liuli like a curious, competitive wildcat, while Ling embodied a tranquil and soothing spring, Nina was akin to the ocean—calm and serene at rest, evoking peace and tranquility, but when stirred into a storm, she unleashed a passion as vast and uncontrollable as the waves.

It took all of Wu Qingsong’s willpower to emerge from that whirlwind of emotions. Nina, utterly exhausted, soon fell into a deep sleep.

Wu Qingsong was equally worn out, but an inexplicable sense of excitement and intense satisfaction kept him wide awake. He lay on his side, gazing quietly at Nina’s face, both alluring and exuding an unyielding strength. His eyes traced her elegant, statuesque figure, and his hand gently caressed the perfect contours of her features. A deep sense of contentment welled up in his heart.

‘Nina Lams is my wife now!’

He could barely restrain the urge to kiss her or shout out loud in joy, but he eventually sat up, dressed himself, carefully tucked the blanket around Nina, and resumed boiling water with heated stones to make soup.

Nina’s body was still weak. She needed this nourishment.

‘I have to get her back to full health as soon as possible. I have to get us out of this damned place and return home, where I’ll tell everyone about this.’

‘I’ll make sure everyone leads a happy life, and I’ll make that cursed Crimson Demon Lord pay the price.’

Even though, without this ordeal, he and Nina might never have taken this step, he couldn’t tolerate—no, he couldn’t accept—that Nina had been put in such danger.

This was already the second time. He would never allow the Crimson Deon Lord to keep threatening Orgrimmar and the people he cared about.

It was a long time before Nina finally woke up. She seemed a little dazed at first, but soon she came to her senses and remembered what had happened.

How could this be?

This was…

She could hardly believe she had done something like that.

How could she face the people of Silvermoon? How could she face Ram? How could she face everyone?

Suddenly, she felt lost and at a complete loss for what to do.

“Awake?” Wu Qingsong’s voice suddenly came from nearby.

She turned and saw him looking at her with a warm smile. He leaned down and gently kissed her on the cheek. 

“Good morning.”

“Good morning.” Nina felt a bit awkward, unsure how to navigate this new relationship. 

What should she do?

“Hungry?” Wu Qingsong reached out and gently brushed her bangs aside, casually smoothing her hair. The soothing gesture pulled her out of her awkwardness and uncertainty. “There’s some delicious soup ready.”

All her confusion, unease, and worries seemed to melt away under his smile. For the first time in her life, Nina Rams, princess of the Silvermoon Wolf Clan and daughter of the moon, was able to set aside all her burdens, the crushing responsibilities and obligations that had weighed her down. She allowed herself to relax completely, smiling genuinely like an ordinary girl.

“Alright!” she replied. Feeling his intense gaze, she shyly turned her back to him to dress. Once ready, she sat beside him and took the makeshift pot crafted from an insect shell from his hands.

“Shall we start exploring this area tomorrow?”

“Sure.”

“How’s the soup?”

“Delicious. Very rich.”

“Then drink more. I spent the whole night making it.”

“It’s really good.”

“Is there a reward for me, then?”

“…Ram was right. You really are such a scoundrel,” Nina said, her cheeks reddening.

“Haha!” Wu Qingsong burst into laughter.