Although Carter's apology seemed to lack sincerity, at least he admitted his mistake, and no one dwelled on it.
A temporary peace was thus achieved.
...
The foraging team's progress was smooth. They first went to the place where everyone had picked fruit before.
It was a fruit grove, but the plants were not doing well. Only a few fruit trees bore fruit, so everyone had picked only what they needed before.
"Straight ahead."
Fu Jingshu glanced at the fruit trees and led the way to the north.
Everyone quickly followed. Someone was thirsty and picked a fruit, which was sweet and juicy. He carefully glanced at Fu Jingshu while eating.
Seeing that he didn't object, he began to eat heartily.
Beyond the fruit grove was a barren mountain. It looked desolate, with only scattered rocks of various sizes on the ground and withered branches everywhere.
"Autumn hasn't even reached its halfway point, and it was still lush and green ahead. Why is it so withered now?"
Someone muttered.
Everyone else was also confused. It looked like two different seasons compared to the fruit grove they had just left.
"Be careful."
They could all sense something was wrong. Fu Jingshu, however, saw more. For instance, there were footprints on the ground.
They were in a plum blossom pattern, enormous, indicating that the creature that left them must have been a behemoth.
The group proceeded slowly, with everyone instinctively protecting the girls in the middle and the men forming the outer perimeter.
Ai Qi and another girl held hands, feeling secure within the group.
Zhao Qian sighed silently as he watched them. "I told you not to come, but you insisted. This isn't something fun."
Ai Qi retorted righteously, "Even though we're girls, we can't just freeload. We might not be strong enough for heavy labor, but we can still help find food."
"Yes, we also want to do what we can to show that we are useful!"
The two girls reached a consensus at that moment, their clasped hands tightening.
Zhao Qian shook his head and looked at the fair-complexioned girl. "You want to prove yourself, I believe that. But..."
He then turned to Ai Qi, his gaze full of meaning.
"You too?"
Ai Qi's eyes widened. "Of course!"
"Really?"
Zhao Qian's expression was neutral, but his eyes seemed to hold an all-knowing clarity that made Ai Qi feel a strange annoyance. "What do you mean?"
Zhao Qian shook his head and said nothing more.
But Ai Qi was not deterred. She pulled her hand away from the other girl and caught up to Zhao Qian. "You need to explain yourself. What did you mean by that just now? Are you suspecting me of having ulterior motives?"
"I didn't."
"You did!"
Ai Qi glared at Zhao Qian. He looked somewhat helpless and then glanced at Fu Jingshu, who was leading the way ahead. His tall, stern figure was as unwavering as always.
He always gave an impression of reliable steadiness.
"Ai Qi, you know in your heart why you're here. You don't need me to say it."
Ai Qi was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, almost jumping up. "What nonsense are you talking? I don't understand you at all!"
She looked around. Everyone else was focused on walking, and no one was paying attention to them. However, she still felt uneasy and pulled Zhao Qian out of the group.
After falling back a short distance, she spoke, "Zhao Qian, you're spouting venom!"
"What did I say that constitutes spouting venom?" Zhao Qian didn't seem angry, but rather resigned. "I'm just stating what I see."
"What do you see?!"
Ai Qi, shedding her usual innocence, became somewhat aggressive.
He couldn't possibly have seen anything!
Because she hadn't done anything, she hadn't given him any leverage!
Zhao Qian pointed to his eyes. "I still can't see anything with these, but with this..."
His finger slowly moved down, pointing to the position of his heart.
"I see it clearly."
Ai Qi tightly gripped his wrist. "Stop talking nonsense. You didn't see anything, and I didn't do anything. What's your purpose in saying these things?"
Her fingernails were sharp, and she was gripping so hard that they even dug into his skin. However, Zhao Qian didn't mind, maintaining a smile on his face.
"Calm down, don't get worked up."
This reminded Ai Qi. She sneered and released his hand. "I am calm. I'm just reminding you that everyone is getting along well right now. Don't ruin everyone's relationship by talking nonsense."
"Whether I talk nonsense is not important." Zhao Qian said meaningfully, "What you do is what's most important. On this journey, I've seen your gaze linger more than once on..."
He turned back and looked at the tall, heroic figure walking at the forefront of the group.
"Shut up!"
Ai Qi hissed, her usually light and melodious voice now hoarse. This drew the attention of the team ahead.
"What are you two doing?"
"Let's go, don't fall behind!"
Ai Qi glared at Zhao Qian and warned in a low voice, "Don't talk nonsense. I don't want to hear these words again! Otherwise, I won't let you off. You should know my name is Tucker Ai Qi."
With that, she hurried to catch up with the team, a bright smile on her face.
Zhao Qian stood for a moment and then slowly followed. When he reached Ai Qi's side, he received a warning glance from her.
He returned her gaze with a smile.
The group walked for nearly an hour, and greenery gradually appeared before them. Not only were there green grass and flowers on the ground, but the trees were also adorned with green leaves.
There were also clusters of brown mushrooms at the base of the trees.
Everyone eagerly went to pick them. Fu Jingshu stood tall and aloof, saying from behind the crowd, "Pick them and keep them safe. We'll have the old man check if they're poisonous when we get back."
This reminded everyone. Although they had no experience of surviving on a deserted island, they had watched survival documentaries.
In such places, the more beautiful something looked, the more likely it was to be poisonous.
For a moment, looking at the plump, tender mushrooms, they hesitated to pick them.
"As long as you don't eat them, you won't be poisoned,"
Fu Jingshu said calmly.
This statement greatly reassured everyone, and they began to pick them boldly. Once everyone's backpacks were more than half full, Fu Jingshu led them forward.
The journey today had been unusually smooth. Soon, they reached a mountainside. From the top, they could see a trickling stream below, and the cool air carried by the wind.
"There's a river!"
Someone lay on the edge of the cliff, wanting desperately to go down and drink several large gulps. They hadn't had any water since coming up yesterday and were terribly thirsty.
"Let's go back first. We'll come back in the afternoon."
Fu Jingshu checked the time. He had promised his wife he would return by noon, and it was already 11 o'clock. If they walked quickly, they could be back by 12.
Naturally, the group was unwilling.
"We can bring some water back, or at least let everyone go down for a drink!"
Fu Jingshu turned around and said coldly, "How do we get down? Do we climb?"
They had taken half of the camp's ropes, but he observed the height below and, even when all the ropes were combined, they weren't enough.
Besides, if he didn't go back now, his wife would worry.
His tone was stern and left no room for argument. "We're going back now. Anyone who doesn't want to go back can stop following me this afternoon."
At his words, the group immediately dared not object, but some were still concerned.
"Let's make a mark, just in case we forget the way when we come back this afternoon."
"No need, I remember."
Fu Jingshu strode forward.