The Girl They Ignored Returned as the Woman Seven Men Would Die For novel Chapter 23

The girl before him was bare-faced, wearing a white sun-shirt.

Though she was a bit chubby, with lingering baby fat on her cheeks, there was nothing off-putting about her. Her mild features radiated a grounding, approachable warmth.

Unable to move from the sheer pain, Lucas closed his eyes again, letting Mika do her work.

Mika offered a faint smile, looking down as she continued cleaning his wounds with an iodine-soaked swab.

But this time, her movements were much gentler.

Once the wounds were treated, Mika stood up and ventured deeper into the woods.

Hearing her footsteps fading away, Lucas's heart inexplicably seized.

Why was she leaving?

Did this girl think he was too much trouble and decide to abandon him?

Since he loved street racing, Lucas naturally understood the risks behind his hobby.

Cases of people dying instantly upon crashing into highway dividers due to excessive speed were everywhere.

He was severely injured right now, but he was incredibly lucky to be alive.

However, if that girl just left him here, he wouldn't be far from death.

Lucas's heart sank.

A rare look of grim solemnity washed over his usually cynical, playboy face.

Was it because his attitude had been too cold just now, making the girl feel like she wouldn't get any gratitude for saving him?

Just as he was doubting himself, the footsteps that had walked away began to approach once more.

Lucas turned his head slightly, seeing Mika returning with a cheerful smile, carrying a few sturdy branches she had scavenged.

She knelt back down, using the branches and bandages to carefully splint his broken bones.

The motion sent a sharp jolt of pain that made Lucas gasp.

"Just endure it a bit," Mika said, pressing down on his shoulder with a steady voice.

"Your injuries are too severe. This is just a rough splint. I still have to carry you down the mountain, and the bumping will probably hurt even more. But if we don't go down, it'll be too hard for a medical team to find you up here."

"Are you sure you can carry me?"

Mika hoisted him up with all her strength, feeling a sudden pop from her nearly healed knees.

Her heart skipped a beat, but she simply shook her head, smiling as if nothing was wrong.

"It's fine, I'm sturdy. Back in the dorms, whenever there's something heavy to lift, I'm always the one who carries it. I should be fine."

She said that, yet every step she took was excruciatingly slow.

Feeling the tense, trembling effort in the girl's muscles, Lucas's predatory gaze grew slightly somber.

The girls who constantly surrounded him rarely weighed over a hundred pounds. They were always flawless, Barbie-like dolls with so little strength they couldn't even unscrew a water bottle.

He had truly never encountered a girl like Mika before—so unadorned, yet so pure and fiercely strong.

No pretenses, zero superficiality.

While she didn't evoke any romantic sparks, she inexplicably gave him a profound sense of... security.