Exiled!? Ha! I have An Infinite Space-Chapter 50 -

The Head Guard stepped closer, rainwater sliding from the brim of his helmet as his sharp gaze settled firmly on both Li Manman and me. There was no hesitation in his expression, no sympathy either, only cold practicality shaped by urgency.

"One of you will have to go down there."

The storm roared around us, yet the weight of those words seemed heavier than the rain itself.

For a brief moment, Li Manman simply stared at the hole, her face losing color so quickly it was almost unsettling to watch. Her fingers tightened around the edge of her sleeves, her lips parting slightly as though she wanted to speak but could not find the courage to do so.

"...Me?" she asked softly, her voice trembling just enough to sound believable.

"You are the lightest," the Head Guard replied without emotion.

Li Manman instinctively took a step back, her hesitation immediate, her unease painfully obvious.

And then —

Her thoughts surged into my mind.

There is absolutely no way I am going down that hole.

My brows twitched.

It is too deep... what if I slip? What if I fall?

Her eyes flickered nervously toward the darkness below.

Why should I risk my life for a fictional character? This is insane.

A slow, bitter heat rose inside my chest.

Outwardly, Li Manman lowered her head, her expression shifting with impressive precision into something fragile and pitiful, her voice now soft, laced with carefully crafted fear.

"I... I am afraid of heights," she murmured. "I do not think I can manage something like that..."

Her thoughts rang again.

Even if Fu Li dies, what does that have to do with me?

My jaw tightened.

I already helped by pointing the direction. That should be enough.

I stared at her, disbelief slowly twisting into disgust.

"You were the one insisting on coming along," I said, my voice sharp despite the rain. "You were practically begging to help."

Li Manman looked up quickly, her eyes wide, wounded, perfectly rehearsed.

"I truly want to help, Young Mistress," she said weakly. "But if I go down there and something happens to me, would that not only make things worse?"

Her thoughts echoed coldly.

I am not throwing my life away in some muddy pit.

That was it.

The final straw.

I let out a slow breath, rolling my eyes openly.

"You seemed very determined earlier," I continued, my tone dripping with irritation. "So what happened now? All that enthusiasm suddenly vanished?"

Li Manman’s lips trembled faintly.

"I am only being realistic..."

Coward, I thought bitterly.

Without another word, I stepped forward.

"I will do it."

The reaction was immediate.

Several guards stiffened.

The Head Guard’s gaze sharpened.

Fu Sheng turned so quickly his torchlight wavered. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

"What?"

"Yes," I said firmly, already moving toward the edge of the hole.

Fu Sheng’s expression darkened instantly.

"No."

I turned to him calmly, though the urgency pounding inside my chest was anything but calm.

"Fu Li is unconscious, Fu Sheng. Every second we waste here arguing is another second she spends drowning in mud and rain."

"That hole is dangerous."

"So is doing nothing."

"You could fall."

"And she could die."

The rain poured relentlessly between us, tension crackling thickly in the air.

Fu Sheng’s jaw tightened painfully, his eyes filled with conflict, fear, frustration.

But I did not waver.

I turned back toward the Head Guard.

"Prepare the robe."

Behind me, Li Manman remained silent, yet her thoughts echoed loudly in my mind.

Idiot.

I did not even bother glancing at her.

Because unlike some people standing here...

I was not afraid to act.

....

Fu Sheng moved closer without another word, the earlier argument still lingering in the air as he took the robe from the guards and began securing it around my waist. His movements were firm but careful, his fingers working through the soaked fabric with a level of focus that made it impossible to miss the tension in his expression.

The rain continued pouring down mercilessly, yet his hands did not shake.

Not even slightly.

"Make it tighter," the Head Guard instructed.

Fu Sheng obeyed instantly, pulling the robe snugly against me before knotting it securely. His jaw remained tight the entire time, his silence heavier than anything he could have said.

When he finished, he did not step away.

Instead —

He held onto me.

Both hands gripping my arms.

His gaze locked onto mine.

The guards had already begun lowering the length of the robe into the hole, preparing for my descent, yet Fu Sheng did not release me.

One small push was all it would take.

One step forward.

And I would begin climbing down.

But something in him still refused to let go.

I noticed immediately.

A slow smile crept onto my lips.

"Do not worry, hubby," I said lightly, tilting my head slightly despite the storm raging around us. "I am actually quite good at gymnastics."

Fu Sheng blinked.

"...What?"

"You do not know this," I continued casually, "but before I became famous, I was practically a stunt actor."

His brows lifted slightly, confusion flashing across his face.

Under normal circumstances, he would have questioned me but instead, He sighed softly.

Because clearly, he had grown used to my so-called nonsense.

Sometimes even outrageous nonsense.

Yet despite the disbelief written in his eyes, his grip on me did not loosen.

Not even a little.

"...Just be careful," he muttered.

There it was again.

That worry.

He leaned slightly closer, his voice lowering.

"I will not let the robe slip."

My heart skipped faintly.

"I will pull you back up," he continued firmly. "Without pain"

For a brief moment, I simply stared at him.

Because beneath the cold exterior...

Beneath the constant indifference...

Was someone who clearly cared far more than he ever admitted.

My smile softened slightly, it was at that moment, I realized that I was actually afraid.

Then gently I placed my hand over his.

"You better keep that promise."

His eyes flickered briefly.

Then.. slowly and reluctantly..

Fu Sheng finally loosened his grip And with one careful step forward...

I began my descent into the darkness below.

....

Getting down was not actually that hard, which honestly surprised me because with how deep the hole looked from above, I had expected the descent to be far more terrifying.

The uneven walls, though wet and slippery from the rain, provided just enough support for my feet, allowing me to carefully lower myself step by step while the guards slowly loosened the robe from above.

What truly concerned me, however, was not going down.

It was climbing back up.

Going down was always easier, gravity naturally assisting every movement, but climbing up something like this, especially with the rain soaking everything and mud clinging stubbornly to every surface, would definitely be a little challenging.

When my feet finally touched the ground, I released a slow breath I did not even realize I had been holding. The darkness inside the pit felt heavier than the forest above, the torchlight barely reaching this depth, leaving most of the surroundings swallowed by shadows.

Squinting my eyes, I tried to adjust to the dim light.

"...Fu Li?"

My voice echoed faintly.

No response.

I turned slowly, scanning the muddy ground until I finally spotted her figure lying a short distance away, half-covered in mud and completely motionless.

Relief immediately washed through me.

"Fu Li!"

Instinctively, I tried walking toward her, but the robe tied around my waist tightened sharply, stopping me mid-step.

I froze.

"...Seriously?"

The rope was not long enough.

She was still too far.

Rainwater streamed down between us, the ground uneven and slippery, making it impossible for me to stretch or lean any further.

Left with no choice, I raised my voice again.

"Fu Li!"

Silence.

"Fu Li, can you hear me?!"

Nothing.

I frowned deeply, irritation slowly creeping in.

After calling out for some time without receiving even the slightest reaction, my patience began thinning as my gaze dropped toward the ground, where scattered stones lay embedded in the mud.

I bent down slowly, picking one up.

Then another.

A quiet sigh escaped my lips.

"I honestly feel like giving you a proper beating," I muttered under my breath, shaking my head slightly, "but this is not intentional."

Taking aim, I tossed a small stone toward her.

It struck lightly.

No movement.

I threw another.

Still nothing.

"...How deeply did she faint?"

Muttering softly to myself, I continued tossing a few more stones, each one landing with small, dull impacts against her mud-soaked figure.

Then —

Finally.

A slight twitch.

My eyes widened instantly.

Another small movement followed.

Then a weak, strained groan.

Fu Li shifted slightly, her fingers trembling as she slowly began regaining consciousness, the earlier stillness finally breaking.

Relief hit me like a sudden wave.

"Oh, thank goodness..." I breathed.

"Fu Li! Fu Li! Can you hear me? wake up already!" I shouted as she slowly rose, taking a eating position on the ground as she rubbed her eyes.

When she finally got to her senses, tears suddenly started falling from her eyes, "S-sister In-law..weeeehh!"