"I declare this my new favorite sword!" Anya exclaimed, playfully swinging the wooden stick before slinging it over her shoulder. She turned to Zhang Liu, who stood there staring at the stick, and said, "Let's go!"
"Alright," Zhang Liu replied with a helpless nod, trailing behind Anya. His eyes, however, remained glued to the wooden stick.
The sun blazed fiercely in the sky. Yesterday at this time, Zhang Liu had been out exploring, but he'd stuck to shaded coastal areas with rocks to block the sunlight, so the heat hadn't felt as intense. Today, to avoid getting lost, Anya had led them along the open beach. The two of them were fully exposed to the scorching sun, drenched in sweat.
Anya, in her skirt, was slightly better off, but Zhang Liu, dressed in a black shirt and pants, felt like his entire body was on fire.
"Can we head that way?" Zhang Liu asked, licking his dry lips and pointing toward the edge of the forest, a few dozen meters away. The forest looked dark and somewhat foreboding, with only a small area visible from where they stood. Beyond it, though, a lush green hill rose—a strategic high point Zhang Liu planned to climb eventually to survey the island, though that was a task for at least a couple of weeks later if no rescue arrived.
"Sure," Anya agreed. The excitement she'd felt when she first picked up the stick had long faded. Sweating profusely under the relentless sun, she was tempted to toss the stick aside but couldn't quite bring herself to do it. Following Zhang Liu's suggestion, she headed toward the forest's edge.
Though the sun still beat down from the south, the forest's cooling effect was immediate. The burning sensation that had plagued them on the beach began to ease.
Anya's memory proved sharp, and she quickly led Zhang Liu to the first plastic bottle they'd discarded on the beach earlier. Its bright red cap and slender, sun-glinting body stood out like a treasure chest from an RPG game in Zhang Liu's eyes.
"Haha!" Zhang Liu jogged over to pick up the bottle, turning to Anya with a grin. "Looks like we're on the right path!"
"Yeah, there should be another one not far ahead," Anya replied softly, pausing in place.
Truth be told, watching Zhang Liu treat the bottle she'd drunk from like a prized possession stirred a sudden wave of embarrassment in her. When he unscrewed the cap and sniffed inside, her cheeks burned with shame. I don't have bad breath, so what's he sniffing for? she thought, tempted to bury herself in the sand.
After a moment's hesitation, she asked, "Does it smell like anything?"
"Nah, nothing," Zhang Liu said casually, unaware of the thoughts racing through her mind. He tucked the bottle into his pocket and glanced at her. "Why's your face so red?"
"It's not red!" Anya denied quickly, instinctively touching her cheek. It was indeed hot. "It's just the sun!" she added, hurrying forward. "There's another bottle up ahead. Let's grab it and head back. Qin Ruoshuang's alone, and it's not safe."
"Okay," Zhang Liu agreed, following her lead.
But as they walked, Anya's pace slowed. It wasn't fatigue—it was a physiological need. Since arriving on the island, she hadn't faced this issue, but after eating and walking for a while, the urge was becoming undeniable. She glanced at Zhang Liu, her modesty as a girl making it impossible to voice her need. Yet her body's demands were making it hard to move freely.
Noticing her shift from long strides to small, hesitant steps, Zhang Liu quickened his pace and asked, "Anya, what's wrong?"
"I..." Anya's eyes darted nervously, her voice tinged with anxiety. She could only stammer, "I, I, I," unable to get the words out. Her feet shuffled restlessly in her sneakers, as if she were in pain.
Seeing this, Zhang Liu suddenly understood. He'd seen Qin Ruoshuang act similarly one night, repeatedly asking if he was asleep. When he'd pretended to be, she'd slipped away to a small rock to take care of her needs. The white patch under the moonlight had been unmistakable—not that Zhang Liu was spying; he was just keeping watch for her safety.
"Uh... it's getting late. Why don't we call it a day here?" Zhang Liu suggested, scratching his head. "But before we head back, maybe you could check the forest for any edible fruits or something. I'll go check the beach for useful resources."
"Yeah!" Anya nodded eagerly, not entirely sure of his intentions but relieved by the suggestion. She hurried into the forest.
Watching her go, Zhang Liu turned toward the beach, a small smile tugging at his lips. The late afternoon sun made the coastline unbearably hot. Unless a fish was desperate enough to crawl ashore and evolve into an amphibian, there'd be no resources to find. He wasn't really looking for anything—he just wanted to give Anya some privacy to deal with her needs.
I wonder if it's number one or number two... Zhang Liu mused as he paced, his mind wandering to how Anya might clean up afterward. Would she use a stone to scrape?
His thoughts were interrupted by a piercing scream from the forest. His heart raced—Anya. Dropping everything, he sprinted toward the sound.
"Zhang Liu! I was bitten by a snake!" Anya cried, emerging from the forest with a writhing, jet-black snake clutched in her hand. The other end of the snake was hidden beneath the hem of her skirt. Her face was ashen, and the moment she saw Zhang Liu, her legs buckled. She collapsed against a tree, trembling, her lips quivering.
If not for the tree's support, she would've crumpled to the ground.