Chapter 244: I am a primitive person

Zhang Suannai followed behind Chen Shu, observing the isolated island as she walked.

The dense, primitive jungle and the massive volcano gave one a strong visual impact, like a long-lost world; one couldn't help but feel that some kind of colossal exotic beast ought to be flying in this sky for it to feel harmonious.

It looked extraordinary at a glance.

Unfortunately, the heavens were blind.

Zhang Suannai sighed inwardly.

As the most dazzling pride of heaven of this era, she was actually not the first to arrive here.

And she wasn't even the second.

The heavens were truly blind.

However, the conditions on this island were quite poor, with traces of storms having raged everywhere...

Where were they living?

Could it be that they were living in a cave?

Very likely!

Zhang Suannai could not help but feel deeply worried.

Not everyone had rich experience in surviving on a desert island; she didn't know how badly Qingqing had been mistreated after coming here with this man. Alas, it seemed only she, with her rich knowledge of wilderness survival, could come to improve their living conditions.

It would also let Qingqing know that men were not necessarily reliable.

There were quite a few trees on this island, though...

Zhang Suannai was confident she could build a simple shelter within two hours.

"We're here."

Chen Shu showed her the small courtyard in front of them.

Yes—

Now, several earthen houses had been enclosed by a fence into a small courtyard; on the side near the sea, there was a thick earthen embankment to prevent waves, and beside the pavilion where a stone table was placed, Qingqing had even transplanted a few wild roses, which were currently in bloom.

"..."

Zhang Suannai was expressionless; she stopped in her tracks, pointed at the small house ahead, and said in a dry tone, "Where did you scavenge this house from? Was there originally someone on this island?"

"I built it myself."

"..."

"What's wrong?"

"N-nothing..."

"Why do you have that expression?"

"!"

Zhang Suannai turned her head to the side so he could not see her expression.

Chen Shu frowned, but he did not pay much attention to it; it was common knowledge that this person had some kind of major illness, so he just shouted toward the house:

"Qingqing, look at what I caught while beachcombing!"

Zhang Suannai followed him into the small courtyard, her eyes full of anticipation; she even couldn't help but stand on tiptoe, craning her neck to look.

"Creak..."

A figure pushed open the bamboo door.

The roommate was still the same roommate in her memory, dressed in simple and elegant home attire that could not hide her tall figure and cold, aloof temperament. At first glance, one only felt she was so cold and aloof that one dared not approach, and that she didn't care about dressing up; after looking for a long time, Zhang Suannai could instead see a hint of gentleness in it.

"Wow, Qingqing!"

Zhang Suannai opened her arms and ran out, wanting to give her roommate a big hug.

A palm stopped her.

Zhang Suannai's face stopped ten centimeters in front of the palm, keeping a distance of more than half a meter from Ning Qing, and she stopped her steps, but she didn't care at all, giggling foolishly and as excited as ever.

"Wuwuwu, Qingqing, I didn't expect to see you here; I'm so excited!!"

"Why did you come?"

"Haha, this is fate!"

"Aren't you supposed to go back to attend your master's birthday?"

"Eh? How did you know? Aren't you trapped here for more than three months already?"

"I've heard of it."

"Oh, oh." Zhang Suannai nodded and explained, "It's just that my master was having a big birthday, and I was returning to Dayi from Duqin; I encountered a storm halfway, and then I accidentally drifted and drifted until I drifted here."

"Is that so?"

"Mm..."

Facing Ning Qing's indifferent gaze, Zhang Suannai had the illusion of being seen through, and her whole body felt awkward.

After thinking for a moment, she chose to confess honestly: "You haven't replied to my messages on Feixin for too long, and I heard you were vacationing on some archipelago; it just so happened that the sea route from Duqin to Dayi passes through there, so I thought I'd set off early to come find you to play, but I happened to run into a storm—wow, those waves were so scary, the boat was capsized, and afterwards I relied on my longing for you to find a direction, drifting and drifting, and finally I drifted here; at first I even thought I had drifted to the wrong place..."

"I see."

Ning Qing's gaze flickered slightly.

She did not know if Zhang Suannai had successfully returned to Dayi to attend the Sword Master's birthday in the original World Prediction Line, nor had she ever looked into it, but she knew that Zhang Suannai definitely had not come to this island.

And this was clearly not a mistake in the World Prediction Line, but a chain reaction caused by her own arrival.

She hoped the impact caused by this chain reaction would not be too great or too complex, otherwise, she did not know how much time the World Prediction Line would need to adjust itself.

"Qingqing, did you miss me?"

"Have you eaten?"

"I have, sashimi."

"How long have you been drifting?"

"A few days, perhaps."

"Let's rest for a bit, it's time for us to cook as well."

"Okay!!"

Zhang Suannai was rarely shown concern by her roommates, and she was filled with Joy; she immediately followed the two of them toward the kitchen.

The kitchen space was not large, so she did not go inside, only standing outside and looking in through the massive window—pots, bowls, ladles, basins, and a Spirit Power Stove; the modern kitchenware alone was enough to dazzle her, not to mention the bamboo-woven winnowing baskets, strainers, and homemade earthenware pots.

What made her jaw drop even more was—

Hanging from the ceiling were actually several pieces of Cured Meat, Wax Ribs, and spiced beef.

This is life stranded on a desert island?

You call this wilderness survival?

This is damn well better than how I lived in Duqin!

Zhang Suannai was expressionless.

Two hours later.

Zhang Suannai welcomed her first meal after days of drifting, and also the best meal she had eaten since leaving Dayi and heading to Duqin.

The three sat around a stone table, the aroma of the dishes enticing.

For lunch, there was wild pheasant and mushroom soup, the broth rich and thick. For dinner, they had freshly made steamed black sea bream, king crab, and spicy octopus, which counted as the island's specialties. Chen Shu had even taken down the best piece of Wax Ribs from the roof to boil, along with a stir-fry of cat-fern and Cured Meat, serving as a welcome for Zhang Suannai; after all, as people of Yiguo, it would be somewhat improper not to boil some Sausage and Cured Meat when hosting a guest.

"The conditions are crude, please make do."

Zhang Suannai was expressionless, mechanically expressing her thanks.

If this was still called "making do," then she didn't know what kind of life she had been living in Duqin.

"Eat slowly, no need to rush, there is plenty..."

"Mm."

"I already told you about the situation on the island earlier. In a few days, once my boat is designed, I plan to go over there to scout from a distance. If things go smoothly, we can leave this place afterward. But regardless, you won't make it to your master's birthday celebration."

"It's fine..."

"You'll stay in the same room as Qingqing tonight; I'll set up a floor mat for you. Anyway, if the scouting goes well, you won't be staying for many more days. If it doesn't go well, I'll build you a bed."

"Besides..."

Zhang Suannai answered indistinctly, her mouth now stuffed full of food.

At first, she had been a bit restrained, but the food on the table was simply too delicious, and having spent months sleeping in the open in Duqin, she truly could not resist such temptation.

The food on the table was rapidly wiped out.

Until three bowls of rice were down her throat.

"Hiccup..."

Zhang Suannai let out a hiccup and slowed her pace, only then saying to Chen Shu, "I think you don't need to be in a rush. I still want to experience desert island survival here, and incidentally scout this desert island to see if there are any miraculous aspects to it."

"I have already scouted it once."

"Any findings?"

"None."

"That's good..."

"Hm?"

"Oh, oh, no, nothing. Just to be safe, I'll scout it again." Zhang Suannai insisted on believing that since she had arrived on this desert island, there must be some fortuitous encounter here, and various signs indicated that this island was not ordinary.

Although the person in front of her had scouted it and found nothing, that did not mean there was truly no opportunity on the island; on the contrary, it precisely meant he was not the right person.

Who was the right person?

Who else could it be but her?

Zhang Suannai thought to herself, but did not show it, burying her head in her bowl to drink the chicken soup.

Both people in front of her were watching her.

One person had a calm expression.

One person's mouth was twitching.

The meal finished.

Zhang Suannai wiped her mouth casually with the back of her hand, only realizing after she finished that her roommate was handing her a napkin; she couldn't help but smile awkwardly, took the tissue, wiped her hand, then her mouth, and then raised her hand high, volunteering:

"I'll wash the dishes!"

No one stood on ceremony with her regarding this.

And so Zhang Suannai went into the kitchen with the bowls, causing a clattering sound. When she looked up inadvertently, the sky had already turned dark, and lights had actually turned on in this earthen courtyard; the two were walking along the seaside, slow and leisurely, like an old married couple.

"..."

Zhang Suannai couldn't help but scratch her face.

Ten minutes later.

Zhang Suannai ran to a spot a few hundred meters away from the small courtyard and found the two who had already turned back.

The two were walking shoulder-to-shoulder toward the courtyard, while she faced them, walking backward at a distance of two or three meters, saying seriously:

"I've made up my mind! Since I've gone to the trouble of coming to this island, I want to experience authentic desert island survival. Living in a house has no Spirit Soul! So tonight, I'm going to build a temporary shelter nearby, and starting tomorrow, I'm going to catch fish in the sea myself, set traps to catch small animals, and build my own fire to cook, enjoying the original, authentic fun of wilderness survival!"

Chen Shu couldn't help but fall into deep thought.

Ning Qing, however, was very calm.

Fearing they might misunderstand, Zhang Suannai quickly explained, "Don't you two overthink it, I'm just doing this to experience authentic desert island survival! I used to love watching these kinds of desert island survival videos; I think it's so much fun!"

"I can actually understand your idea," Chen Shu said, looking at the constantly retreating Zhang Suannai. "But the weather on the island has been unstable lately, you should think it over."

"It will rain tonight," Qingqing said.

"I've thought it over!" Zhang Suannai looked at Chen Shu first, and after finishing this sentence, turned to look at Ning Qing, "I have rich wilderness survival experience, and I've even finished reading that desert island survival guide of yours. No matter how hard it rains, I'm not afraid! Anyway, I often slept outside in Duqin—deserts, mountain peaks, even in cracks between rocks, I've slept in them all."

"That food..."

"I will go into the sea to catch fish myself, set traps to catch small animals; if I don't catch anything, I'll eat yours, but if I do, I'll start a fire and cook it myself! I want to experience that authentic desert island fun from the videos, like a proper primitive person! I can't rely on you all for everything!"

"Ambitious."

"So?"

"Suit yourself..."

"Great!"