Qin Ruoshuang and Anya were lost in their own thoughts, and as sleepiness took over, they eventually dozed off with their heads tilted to one side.
The next morning, as a faint light broke through the foggy horizon in the east, Zhang Liu stirred awake.
A dream had roused him—a strange one. In it, his two younger sisters were holding a funeral for him, eerily reminiscent of the one he'd organized for his parents five years ago when he was thirteen.
In the dream, his sisters visited his grave every Qingming Festival to pay their respects. But in that first year, inexperienced and unprepared, Zhang Liu hadn't brought any food for the journey.
Halfway down the mountain, starving and unable to go on, he resorted to eating the steamed buns and roasted chicken left as offerings at someone else's grave.
And in a twist, his sisters were eating his offerings in that first year of the dream. After finishing, they laughed and chatted as they descended the mountain.
What a bizarre dream!
At least they could've stolen someone else's offerings instead!
Zhang Liu let out a wry sigh, a faint smile forming, but a sudden wave of sadness surged through him, leaving a bitter sting in his nose.
Back then, he'd rather risk stealing than touch his parents' offerings—not out of pride, but because he didn't want them to see their son so desperate he couldn't even afford a meal.
Shaking his head, Zhang Liu let out a self-deprecating chuckle. He was much stronger now than he'd been five years ago.
If it happened today, he'd probably eat those steamed buns right beside his parents' tombstone without hesitation—no more suffering for the sake of pride.
The thought of steamed buns made his stomach growl.
Staring into the darkness above, he realized he hadn't woken up from sadness. He was just hungry.
He craved a big, soft steamed bun so badly—even if it was an offering from his parents' grave, he wouldn't care.
Rolling over on the ground, Zhang Liu quickly composed himself and waited silently for the sky to brighten.
Today was their third day on the deserted island, and the most urgent task was to make fire.
Curled up against the early morning chill, he resolved to create sparks no matter what.
Just then, Anya's voice broke the silence beside him.
"Zhang Liu, you awake?"
"Yeah, I'm up," he replied, relieved to hear her voice.
After yesterday's incident, he'd deliberately avoided mentioning the snake bite, not wanting to put any pressure on her. But deep down, he'd been worried. Her energetic greeting eased his mind.
Still, he asked, "How's your wound? Does it still hurt?"
Anya didn't respond right away. She reached under her skirt to check the wound before saying, "It's probably scabbed over."
"That's good."
Given the sensitive location of the injury, Zhang Liu knew it wasn't appropriate for him to ask too much or check it himself.
He made a mental note to ask Qin Ruoshuang to discreetly confirm there was no redness or swelling.
"Wanna go watch the sunrise?" Qin Ruoshuang's voice chimed in before he could decide whether to catch a bit more sleep. "I just realized I've never seen one in person."
"Sure!" Zhang Liu nodded and sat up.
The sky outside was still a dim gray, too murky to see much around them.
With a big stretch, Zhang Liu felt his muscles and bones loosen up.
Anya carefully adjusted the skirt that had been wrapped around her and Qin Ruoshuang's waists, trying not to make too much noise.
Qin Ruoshuang, however, lay still, frozen in place.
She felt something sticky and knew if she stood up, it might cause an embarrassing mess.
Despite suggesting the sunrise outing—and Anya's enthusiastic agreement—she didn't budge even after the other two got up.
"Qin Ruoshuang?"
Zhang Liu, now at the cave's entrance, turned back, puzzled by his classmate still lying on the ground.
Anya's eyes flicked with realization. She quickly urged, "You go down first!"
"Alright, alright."
Scratching his head in confusion, Zhang Liu climbed down from the cave.
As he stepped away, he faintly overheard the girls' voices from inside.
"Get up, let me check."
"I don't want to…"
"It's fine. Just rinse it with water and flip the foam board over."
"But…"
"No buts, Qin Ruoshuang. You don't want Zhang Liu to know about this, right?"
"…Okay, okay…"
The brief exchange ended with Qin Ruoshuang's soft agreement.
Zhang Liu quietly moved a few steps away, not wanting to risk overhearing more and getting himself into trouble.
At the beach, the early morning tide had left its mark, scattering debris across the shore.
Zhang Liu, Qin Ruoshuang, and Anya sat together on a small rock, each holding a handful of jaboticaba and a coconut.
Watching the sunrise felt like a rare moment of leisure.
The light shifted from too dim to see ten meters ahead to bright enough to make out each other's faces up close.
While Anya boldly tilted her head back to drink coconut juice, Qin Ruoshuang sipped hers with delicate grace.
Noticing Qin Ruoshuang's refined movements, Anya slowed her drinking, suddenly self-conscious about her own lack of elegance.
Qin Ruoshuang caught the change and, with a slight smirk, recalled their unfinished conversation from the night before.
Anya, mimicking Qin Ruoshuang's poise, noticed the smile and playfully pinched her thigh in retaliation, a blush creeping across her face.
Qin Ruoshuang's grin only widened.
"A line of clouds in the sky glowed with a different hue, transforming into vibrant colors in an instant. The sun rose, red as cinnabar, with a trembling red light below…"
Zhang Liu, oblivious to the subtle exchange between the girls, murmured his favorite ancient text to himself.
"There's no Mount Tai here," Qin Ruoshuang teased, recognizing the travelogue. "You need an island version."
Zhang Liu froze, racking his brain for any island-related passages from his memory.
"Most people in ancient China who watched sunrises on islands were probably exiled officials," Anya chimed in, rolling her eyes. "Not exactly the poetic types waxing lyrical about sunrises."
The clouds in the east gradually turned red, captivating the trio.
The blush on the clouds shifted rapidly—from a faint tint to a vivid crimson in mere seconds—before half the sun emerged, glowing fiercely.
"It's so beautiful…" Qin Ruoshuang and Anya stared, mesmerized, at the radiant sun bringing light to the world.
Zhang Liu gazed at the sunrise, but a quiet sense of despair crept into his heart.
It had been nearly three days.
If rescue didn't come by tonight, the critical 72-hour window would close, and their chances of being saved would plummet.
They'd have to rely on themselves.
Could he really do it?
He clenched his fist briefly, then released it.
Smiling at Anya and Qin Ruoshuang, who turned to look at him in surprise, he knew he couldn't show his fear.
One of them had to be the anchor.
His smile grew, radiating confidence.
He was certain of one thing: he would make it home.
His sisters were waiting for him.