His "True Love" Was Fake... So Was My Corpse, Sucker! - Chapter 96: Chapter 96

Gradually, Ellie felt her fingers growing stiffer, the frost on her eyelashes thickening, and her movements becoming increasingly sluggish.
James's face paled as he quickly pulled her tightly against his chest.
He tried to warm her body with his own heat while gently patting her face to keep her alert.
"Ellie..."
"Ellie... please, hang on! Don't fall asleep!"
"Whatever you do, don't sleep!"
Just as her eyes were about to close completely, the thick snow layer was suddenly broken open.
A beam of light descended from above.
"Found them!"
"They're here!"
When Ellie regained consciousness, the bright lights overhead made her raise her hand to shield her eyes.
Seeing her awake, James's aunt excitedly called for the town's doctor.
The avalanche had cut off the only road out of town, disconnecting them from the outside world.
So their group was temporarily stranded in the small town.
Although she and James had been buried under snow, thankfully the rescue was prompt, and neither suffered any serious injuries.
His aunt, seeing that Ellie had just woken up, gave a few caring instructions, left a thermos of porridge, and closed the door behind her.
Ellie looked out the window. The sky was dark and gloomy, and with the heavy snowfall, the air pressure continued to drop.
Just like her mood, growing increasingly heavy.
What was weighing on her mind?
She recalled how during the avalanche, James had thrown himself toward her without hesitation.
And while she was unconscious, he'd unzipped her ski suit and held her tightly against him for warmth.
In that moment, her heart had truly warmed a little.
But then she remembered those five years of sleeping alone.
Each night, she would silently listen to the ticking of the wall clock, to the sound of her own heartbeat.
Despite having a heater nearby, a thick blanket over her, and hot tea on the table.
She still felt so cold.
Ellie looked at her left hand. From years of wearing her wedding ring, a deep mark remained on her ring finger.
The day she received the divorce papers, she had thrown her wedding ring into a pond without hesitation, freeing herself from those five years of confinement.
She had worked so hard to escape the prison of their marriage.
How could she possibly go back?
So no matter how many times James risked his life for her or what he did, she couldn't bring herself to return to him.
As she was lost in thought, there was another knock at the door.
"Ellie."
He had saved her life, after all, so she didn't give him the cold shoulder.
"Thank you for saving me."
James sat down beside her and was about to respond with "It's nothing, we're husband and wife" when he suddenly remembered they were divorced.
He paused, reconsidering his words before saying, "It's nothing. Saving you was the right thing to do."
After that, he mentioned their travel plans. Due to the avalanche, the road out of town was temporarily blocked.
Fortunately, workers had quickly repaired the signal tower, so he'd been able to contact their family immediately to report that they were safe.
The road would take another three days to clear, and given that she was still recovering, they decided to stay in town for a few more days.
Before he could finish, a rumbling sound came from her stomach.
She realized she hadn't had anything to eat or drink since waking up.
As she reached for the thermos of chicken noodle soup on the bedside table to pour some into the small bowl, a large hand beat her to it.
He opened the lid, filled a bowl with the steaming soup, and then lifted a spoonful to her lips.
Having just come from the thermos, the soup was still hot.
The rising steam blurred their exchanged glances.
Seeing her hesitation, he encouraged her earnestly.
"You just woke up. You need to eat something to regain your strength."
Ellie pointed at the steaming soup.
"It's too hot. How am I supposed to eat that?"
James realized his mistake and took the spoon back, blowing on it several times until it cooled before offering it to her again.
After finishing the bowl, warmth spread from her stomach throughout her body, making her eyelids grow heavy.
But the man before her seemed oblivious, holding her hand with a hopeful expression.
"Ellie, for the sake of what we just went through with the avalanche, could you give me a chance to make amends? To win you back?"
The drowsy woman suddenly became fully alert.
She studied him carefully, initially intending to politely decline.
But then, as if something occurred to her, the corners of her mouth curved into a smile.
"We'll see. I'm tired now."
The man's eyes lit up instantly as he hurriedly tucked her in.
"Okay, okay. Rest well, Ellie. I'll leave you alone for now."
After he closed the door, Ellie opened her eyes, abandoning her pretense of sleep.
A sarcastic smile played on her lips.