Nearly half a month after my departure, Qu Xiangyun suddenly returned. Luo Yaqin, seeing her old friend back, was naturally overjoyed.
However, Qu Xiangyun's expression was grim.
Upon arriving, Qu Xiangyun rested for a day, refusing to speak of past events. She then urged everyone to leave as soon as possible.
Luo Yaqin, puzzled, kept pressing her about my whereabouts.
Qu Xiangyun remained tight-lipped, telling Luo Yaqin that I might not return.
Luo Yaqin refused to believe her, but Qu Xiangyun's tone was resolute.
Luo Yaqin, Shangguan Yao, and the others cried for a long time before finally accepting the reality.
They had a strong suspicion that I had likely met with misfortune.
A few more days passed, and Qu Xiangyun left.
During this time, Luo Yaqin considered searching for me; she refused to believe I was dead.
Not unless my body was recovered.
Just as some of them were preparing to depart, Qu Xiangyun returned again, this time accompanied by several other people.
Their attire suggested they were not from the deserted island.
After discussing with Luo Yaqin, they announced they had brought a boat and invited everyone else to leave the island with them.
Initially, no one was willing to leave. However, Qu Xiangyun explained that staying there was just waiting to die, and it was better to try elsewhere.
After a day and a night of persuasion, a few people finally agreed to leave.
But Shangguan Yao and Luo Yaqin adamantly refused to go.
Under these circumstances, Qu Xiangyun could do nothing but plead.
Finally, with no other recourse, Luo Yaqin convinced Shangguan Yao to leave.
After all, Shangguan Yao had her own company and financial resources, and the other sisters would need a place to settle after leaving.
Shangguan Yao then relented.
Luo Yaqin, however, remained behind.
In other words, she was now the only one left in the camp.
As she spoke of this, tears welled up in her eyes again.
I held her tightly, my heart filled with emotion.
"Why didn't you leave with them?" I asked. "That might have been a very rare opportunity..."
"Qu Xiangyun gave me six months... to think here and make my next decision. After six months, Qu Xiangyun will come back for me..." Luo Yaqin said with a smile. "Fortunately, you've returned..."
Hearing this, I formed a rough hypothesis.
If nothing went wrong, Qu Xiangyun must have known about my condition at the time, likely in a comatose state.
And they must have tried many ways to wake me, but without success.
So they entrusted my care to others.
Little did they know, I was later buried.
However, for those who left, I had a hunch it was related to the company Qu Xiangyun mentioned...
And under those circumstances, I must have still had vital signs, just unable to wake up.
Qu Xiangyun's departure might have been to seek advanced medical technology to help me awaken.
She probably never imagined I had already been buried.
After organizing my thoughts, my mood improved considerably.
"What are your plans now?" I asked.
"Originally, if I couldn't wait for you, I might have gone back too. But now that you're here, I'll listen to you," Luo Yaqin said with a smile.
My hand caressed a soft spot, and I felt deeply moved.
"Rest well for a few days. If possible... I'd also like to go back!" My gaze was sharp.
Now that I had survived, I had every reason to believe that Wei Xi was also alive.
He had taken the upper half of the Tree of Life, and if possible, I wanted to reclaim it.
Moreover, I was determined to kill him.
I just didn't know his true identity or how long he had been living there.
I also didn't know if his body could still remain intact.
I had no idea what state Wei Xi was in after leaving that place.
But if he was still alive, I would find a way to get rid of him.
Luo Yaqin nestled against me. "Do you want to eat anything else?"
"Eat you!" I said with a smile, and once again, I pressed her down.
That evening, we ate a simple meal, and Luo Yaqin, exhausted, retired early.
For some reason, I felt no fatigue at all.
This feeling was utterly strange, as if I possessed endless energy.
The only explanation I could think of was the Tree of Life and its water.
Lying in bed, my mind suddenly recalled the series of syllables uttered by the primitive tribe earlier.
The syllables were obscure, and I could only approximate them.
However, as a string of syllables appeared in my mind, I suddenly felt something begin to converge into my body.