Chapter 173: A Startling Moment

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Xia Xin jumped in surprise. She and Jing MO were already dining outside their tent; all they had to do was lift their eyes to see what was unfolding. Zhou Lian and Xu Zhi peeked their heads out from their tent as well, equally intrigued. In no time, they saw Lu Shi’s foot—still suspended in mid-air—and Tian Mei beneath it.

After stifling her laughter for a while, Xia Xin couldn’t help but burst into giggles. Hearing her laughter, Zhou Lian and Xu Zhi joined in, their giggles bubbling over like champagne. Jing MO didn’t laugh aloud, but the uplifted corners of his lips revealed his inner delight.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were underneath,” Lu Shi said, pulling back his foot and peering down from his hammock. As his eyes met Tian Mei’s tear-streaked face, he realized what he had just stepped on.

Normally, Tian Mei wasn’t a striking beauty, but she did have an air of delicate vulnerability. Under ordinary circumstances, Lu Shi would have murmured a gentle apology and soothed her. But, from the dock they journeyed here, her make-up was smeared from all the sweating. Now that she cried, her face was beyond recognition.

When Tian Mei heard that Lu Shi only apologized and didn’t do anything else to calm her down, she cried even louder.

“Stop crying, you’ll have eleven more days to shed tears,” Zhou Lian quipped, glancing at Tian Mei. “Besides, the hammock is right above you. It’s not like Lu Shi could have seen you there. If you lack such basic common sense, how will you survive on this island?”

Taking Zhou Lian’s words to heart, Tian Mei finally ceased her crying. In a choked voice, she apologized to Lu Shi, offering him some of her snacks as a peace offering. Lu Shi’s face relaxed. He dismounted from his hammock and unrolled another one from his bag. He was used to carrying two; one for regular use and another as a waterproof shield for rainy days.

“I have an extra hammock. Let me help you set it up,” Lu Shi told Tian Mei.

“Thank you, Lu Shi,” Tian Mei replied, her face glowing with gratitude. However, inside she thought, ‘Would I even choose a hammock if I had other options?’

Lu Shi finished setting up the hammock, and Tian Mei bestowed upon him an adoring gaze. “You’re so prepared, Lu Shi. This is my first time on a show like this. I had no idea what to bring, and my assistant wasn’t much help. But I think food is important.”

Lu Shi simply offered her a mild smile and returned to his hammock, making no reply.

Tian Mei, seeing the height difference between the two hammocks, hastily inquired, “Why is my hammock so low and yours so high?”

Zhou Lian butted in, “Because you can’t climb.”

Accepting the statement without protest, Tian Mei realized the truth in Zhou Lian’s words. Climbing a tree would ruin her carefully constructed image of a gentle and delicate young woman.

Meanwhile, Xia Xin and Jing MO were relishing their meal, unfazed by the drama around them. “This noodle is delicious,” Xia Xin remarked to Jing Mo.

Jing MO grunted in agreement. It was delicious indeed, but not just because of the taste. It was because Xia Xin had prepared it just for him.

“Hey Xia Xin, do you have a solar charging panel I could borrow? I just realized I brought the wrong flashlight, and it’s out of charge,” Xu Zhi asked.

“Sure,” said Xia Xin, handing over her solar charging panel, which had been accumulating energy on top of their tent.

Xu Zhi took the solar charging panel and said thanks to Xia Xin.

After a satisfying meal, Xia Xin and Jing MO decided to scout the nearby area for a clean water source. Equipped with folding buckets and first-aid kits, they were ready to set off.

“I’m thinking of taking the wolf pup along. Maybe we’ll find its family in the mountains and can return it,” Xia Xin mused, cradling the pup in her arms.

Before waiting for an answer, Tian Mei reached out to touch the little wolf’s head.

Just as Tian Mei was about to descend from her hammock, she saw the adorable wolf pup in Xia Xin’s arms. “Oh wow, Xia Xin, your puppy is so cute!

Can I pet it?”

“Don’t touch!” Xia Xin warned, but it was too late—Tian Mei let out a piercing scream..