After Anya closed her eyes, Zhang Liu didn't immediately try to help her. Instead, he gently pulled up the underwear that had slipped down to her ankles and took off his own shirt to cover her private areas.
Sucking out potentially venomous blood with his mouth was a last resort. Before that, killing the poisonous snake and ensuring their safety were the top priorities. As for pulling up her underwear and covering her lower abdomen and body while leaving only the wound exposed, it was Zhang Liu's way, as a man, of preserving Anya's dignity in such a desperate moment.
He wasn't the kind of person who'd take advantage of a girl in distress.
At that moment, Anya was dazed, feeling the careful attention to her wound, but her gaze lingered on the shirt covering her private parts.
Zhang Liu's movements were gentle, his touch steady and measured, but he quickly sucked out a mouthful of salty, metallic blood. To avoid swallowing any potentially toxic blood, he lifted his head and prepared to spit it out.
But then he noticed silent tears streaming down Anya's face.
Crystal-clear droplets fell quietly from her cheeks to the ground. Perhaps because she accidentally met Zhang Liu's gaze, Anya quickly turned her head away, as if avoiding his eyes.
Zhang Liu didn't have time to explain. He lowered his head again, pressed his mouth to the wound, and continued sucking. He repeated the process three times, stopping only when no more blood could be easily drawn from the wound.
"It should be okay now," he said, rushing to the beach to rinse his mouth repeatedly with salty seawater. When he returned, Anya had already put on her underwear, pleated skirt, and one shoe. Seeing her head still lowered, Zhang Liu said gently, "I won't tell anyone about this."
As he spoke, he reached for the black short-sleeved shirt he'd used to cover her and put it back on.
"Let's head back," Anya said softly, without responding to his words. "It's getting late."
"Okay!" Zhang Liu turned to lead the way back to the cave, but then he heard a quiet request from behind.
"I'm having trouble walking. Can you carry me?"
Anya could have used the stick she'd just picked up as a crutch. A half-hour ago, she probably would have done just that. But now, she genuinely wanted to rely on the boy in front of her instead of herself.
"Alright!" Zhang Liu tucked the plastic bottle into his pocket, walked over to Anya, and crouched down. "Hop on."
Without a word, Anya climbed onto his back, her small, soft chest pressing against him through her bra.
Zhang Liu felt it immediately, and an unbidden thought flashed through his mind: Even through the bra, it's as soft as silk…
Taking a deep breath, he pushed the distracting thought away and started walking toward the cave.
On the way, he'd noticed some fruit scattered on the ground. Though he couldn't be certain, he saw clear signs of insects and ants nibbling on them. They were likely edible with some basic testing. That way, they wouldn't have to eat that slimy, cold coconut meat tonight.
Just as Zhang Liu was lost in thought, he heard Anya's voice behind him, tinged with complaint.
"Can you help me out a bit?"
Anya had never been carried like this before and was struggling to hold on. She tried clamping her legs around Zhang Liu's waist, but it caused her private areas to rub against his back, and the wound on the inside of her left thigh made it hard to use her strength. As a result, she was hanging on with just her arms, which was not only uncomfortable for her but also made it hard for Zhang Liu to breathe.
The only reason she'd managed to hold on this long was her years of kendo training.
"Would it be okay if I used my hands?" Zhang Liu asked, his neck strained from Anya's grip. He wanted to support her by holding her hips but hesitated. The life-saving act earlier had already made her cry. What if touching her now, even after saving her, upset her further? If they ever got off this island, he didn't want to risk her coming after him with a vengeance.
"It's fine!" Anya hesitated for a moment before saying in a voice barely louder than a whisper, "If it's you…"
"Huh? What'd you say?" Despite her speaking right by his ear, the sound of the waves made it hard for Zhang Liu to catch her words clearly.
"I said you're an idiot!" Anya snapped, rolling her eyes in frustration. Embarrassed and a little angry, she raised her voice. "It's already this late, and you're still worrying about propriety? Why didn't you say anything when you were kissing my thigh earlier?"
"Uh…" Stunned by her outburst, Zhang Liu reached back, carefully gripped her hips, and continued walking steadily with her on his back.
Anya fell silent for the rest of the journey. She gently rested her flushed cheek on Zhang Liu's shoulder, breathing in his masculine scent.
This was something Anya could never have imagined before. Even in her occasional romantic daydreams, the hero was never an ordinary guy like Zhang Liu. But now, the protagonist of her dreams was starting to take shape—and he looked exactly like the boy carrying her.
"Zhang Liu… do you think we'll ever get back home?" Anya asked. After two days and one night on the island, her hope for rescue was still strong, but it wasn't like the previous night when she mistook the sound of waves for a helicopter. Under the glow of the setting sun, she couldn't help but voice the deepest worry in her heart to the boy who made her feel safe and dependable.
"We will," Zhang Liu replied with unwavering certainty. Whether rescue came or he had to build a boat himself, he would get back home. His sister was still waiting for him.
"Hmm…" His firm response eased Anya's fears. She tilted her head slightly, shifting her gaze from his shoulder to his profile. Her eyes shimmered with emotion as she hesitated before asking, "Are you mad at me for insulting you with money before?"
Zhang Liu didn't answer immediately. He stood up straight, noticing Anya's anxious expression, and gently set her down.
"Are you angry?" Anya asked nervously, her heart racing. She gritted her teeth, regretting her words. A terrible thought crossed her mind: What if he's remembering how I treated him at school and wants to do something to me?
Normally, Anya wouldn't have been afraid. But now, with her heart newly stirred by affection, she couldn't bear the thought of the boy she cared about doing something hurtful.
"You… you wouldn't do anything reckless, right? If you have any ideas, just tell me calmly. It's not like… I wouldn't…" Anya stammered, her words a jumble of nerves.
Zhang Liu, oblivious to her spiraling thoughts, simply asked, "Do you mind if I take off my shirt?"
His question, combined with the memory of his bare upper body earlier, sent Anya's mind into overdrive. After hesitating for several minutes, she gritted her teeth and blurted out, her voice trembling, "No, no, that kind of thing is impossible right now! The most I can handle is holding hands!"