"What are you talking about?" Zhang Liu asked, puzzled by Anya's sudden comment.
He furrowed his brow, trying to piece together how her words connected to what he'd said. After racking his brain, he still couldn't figure out why she mentioned holding hands—or what she meant by "doing something on her own."
"…" Anya studied Zhang Liu's innocent expression. She'd been bracing herself for the worst, even imagining rolling on the ground to escape an awkward situation. But now, it dawned on her—she might have completely misread the situation.
"Why aren't you wearing clothes?" Anya asked, her voice tinged with embarrassment but pressing forward anyway.
"I found some fruit trees on the way here," Zhang Liu explained, pointing toward the surrounding forest. "I was planning to pick some fruit and use my clothes to carry more. I'll carry you on my back, and you can help hold them. If I'm not mistaken, those are jaboticaba bushes."
"Jaboticaba?" Anya repeated, stumbling over the unfamiliar word. She'd never heard of it. "What kind of fruit is that? Have you eaten it before?"
"I haven't," Zhang Liu admitted, shaking his head. "But it's supposed to be a fruit that grows on tree trunks and looks a lot like grapes." He went on to describe what he'd read in books, adding, "I remember some review videos saying it tastes really good."
Grapes…
Anya swallowed hard, her mouth watering at the thought. She'd been working all afternoon, and hunger and thirst were gnawing at her. She hadn't complained, knowing how tough their situation was, but the idea of sweet, tangy grapes was irresistible. Her mouth kept watering as she imagined it.
Noticing Anya's subtle swallowing, Zhang Liu smiled. "You can't eat them yet," he said. "I'll try some first, then pick more to bring back. If all goes well, we can eat together tonight."
On a deserted island, Zhang Liu wasn't reckless. Even if he recognized the fruit, he wouldn't risk everyone eating it at once. Caution was second nature to him.
"Hmph, who said I wanted to eat them now?" Anya huffed, catching his gentle, almost fatherly look. She crossed her arms, trying to sound tough. "It's just fruit. I've had it all!"
Despite her words, she obediently climbed onto Zhang Liu's back again, and they headed toward the jaboticaba trees.
"Why do these trees look so weird?" Anya murmured, marveling as she clung to his back. She'd never seen anything like them. The branches twisted like octopus tentacles, studded with dark, round fruits. Green leaves sprouted only at the tips.
When Zhang Liu had compared jaboticaba to grapes, she'd pictured a tall tree with clusters of grapes dangling from branches. This was nothing like that.
"Yeah, it's my first time seeing such an odd tree too," Zhang Liu agreed, nodding. He'd noticed the jaboticaba because of its strange shape and the glossy, dark fruit catching the sunlight.
Looking down, he saw ripe jaboticaba fruits scattered on the ground, some with insect bites. The sight reassured him slightly. At the same time, excitement bubbled up inside him.
This small area was full of jaboticaba trees. If the fruit proved edible, it could transform their diet—at least for a while. Coconut meat was barely palatable, tough to chew, and so bland it felt like eating plastic.
Resting on Zhang Liu's back, Anya leaned forward, one hand on his shoulder for balance, the other reaching out to pluck a fruit. She brought it to her nose and sniffed. Her face fell. She'd hoped for a sweet, fruity aroma, but all she smelled was rotting leaves and wood.
Her movement made Zhang Liu tense—not from danger, but because her small chest pressed against his cheek, brushing against it through the fabric as she moved and spoke. The soft, warm sensation was impossible to ignore.
Anya noticed it too but didn't pull back. Instead, she held her subtle position, her mind drifting to a memory: Zhang Liu staring at Qin Ruoshuang's chest in a daze. Before the snakebite, she hadn't thought much of it, but now it bothered her.
I'm a girl too, she thought. Why hasn't he ever looked at me like that?
With a determined glint in her eyes, she held the shiny, dark fruit near Zhang Liu's mouth. "Didn't you say you wanted to test it for poison?"
"Yeah, but I remember the people in those videos peeled it first," Zhang Liu said, turning his head to avoid her attempt to feed him. "I'll do it myself."
He crouched down, gently setting Anya's warm, soft frame on the ground. The coolness of evaporating sweat hit his back, and he felt a wave of relief. Dodging her gesture had been a close call.
Quickly turning away, he slipped a hand into his pocket, subtly adjusting himself where a certain part had reacted to the moment.
"What are you doing?" Anya asked, leaning against a jaboticaba tree. She could walk normally now but preferred being carried back to the cave, so she played up her weakness. Still, she was curious why Zhang Liu had turned away and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
If you're trying to act cool, at least face me, she thought.
"Nothing," Zhang Liu muttered, realigning himself before rubbing his hands on his clothes. He picked up a jaboticaba from the ground, one with insect bites, and peeled it. Popping the white, slightly translucent flesh into his mouth, he chewed carefully.
Under Anya's eager gaze, he spat out two orange pits, barely smaller than the flesh itself, catching them in his hand.
"It's… pretty good," he said, glancing at the pits with a wry smile. "Tastes a bit like lychee, but there's not much flesh. Wild fruits like this haven't been bred for size. The bigger the seeds, the better they spread."
"Hmm…" Anya nodded, then held out the jaboticaba she'd been clutching. "Try this one. I think it's meatier."
She stepped closer, pressing the fruit to Zhang Liu's lips again, her eyes sparkling with anticipation, waiting for him to take a bite.