Chapter 48: Wild Dodder (6)

“I’ve never seen someone so eager to act like a dog,” Tong Ling remarked to the system.

M577 desperately wanted to counter her, but experience told it that staying silent would be wiser.

Tong Ling remained motionless, deliberately ignoring Zhu Zhan’s presence.

Zhu Zhan felt his temper flaring, yet he dared not raise his voice at Bai Ling. Suppressing his anger, he spoke in the gentlest tone possible, “Aren’t you hungry? Please eat something.”

This piece of bread was earned through his own labor. To discourage laziness, Fu Jingyan had recently introduced a new rule: those who contributed more work received slightly larger portions of food. After all, physical exertion leads to increased hunger, and such a reasonable guideline faced no opposition.

Standing at six feet tall, Zhu Zhan, along with Bai Ling and the twins, were fresh graduates having just completed their high school exams. As young adults still in their growth phase, they required substantial daily intake. Before being stranded on this deserted island, Zhu Zhan had never experienced true hunger.

Yesterday, the sensation of hunger wasn’t too noticeable, but today it hit him hard. The small portion of bread was clearly insufficient for his needs, especially considering the physically demanding tasks they performed.

Despite enduring hunger himself, Zhu Zhan worried that this idle young lady wouldn’t receive much food and eagerly brought some over to her. However, she ignored him completely. Then he had to be doubly cautious, patiently coaxing her to eat. Honestly, even Zhu Zhan felt he was being excessively subservient.

Tong Ling glanced at the bread and opened her mouth towards Zhu Zhan.

“You want me to feed you?” Zhu Zhan was momentarily taken aback by Bai Ling’s action.

Tong Ling immediately wanted to roll her eyes. Compared to Fu Jingyan and Duan Jiaze, Zhu Zhan seemed utterly clueless; he even needed to ask before feeding someone—wasn’t that stupid?

Zhu Zhan muttered, “You, a pampered young lady, needing others to feed you? Do you have to be so delicate?”

Upon hearing this, Tong Ling promptly turned away from him.

“All right, all right, I’m sorry—I’ll feed you.” Seeing how the young lady, just starting to soften, was about to ignore him again, Zhu Zhan hastily apologized.

He couldn’t fathom where his patience came from, coddling such a precious woman like this.

To adhere to his principle of not touching anything with his hands, Zhu Zhan was extremely wary during the feeding process, fearing his hand might accidentally brush against Bai Ling’s lips. Each time Bai Ling opened her mouth, he swiftly fed her, then withdrew his hand—feed, withdraw, feed, withdraw. After repeating this several times, not only did it exhaust him, but even Bai Ling looked at him as if he were mentally impaired.

“If my hand accidentally touches your mouth, it doesn’t count as me using my hands…” Zhu Zhan murmured, “It was you who asked me to feed you…”

Tong Ling nodded, signaling for Zhu Zhan to stop blabbering and continue feeding.

Only then did Zhu Zhan’s movements become somewhat more natural. As he fed Bai Ling, he surreptitiously observed her. He noticed that even when eating, the young lady remained graceful—in this environment, she still attentively savored every bite. She would chew a fixed number of times before swallowing, open her mouth again, curl her pink tongue, clamp down with pearly teeth, and chew some more. If crumbs landed on her lips, she’d delicately extend her tongue to lick them away, leaving her lips notably moistened…

By the time Zhu Zhan realized what he had been watching, his heart jolted. Fuck, why was he so captivated by seeing Bai Ling eat? And specifically staring at her mouth—was he a freak?!

Before long, the small piece of bread was finished, and Zhu Zhan couldn’t help but grumble about Fu Jingyan giving too little. He hadn’t been feeding her for very long; he wasn’t sure if the young lady was full yet, wishing he could somehow obtain more food to give her…

As soon as this thought surfaced, Zhu Zhan felt another wave of unease…

Whenever he was around Bai Ling, peculiar thoughts seemed to invade his mind. Comparing his earlier words with his current state, Zhu Zhan suddenly felt guilty.

Panicked, he hastily diverted his gaze and, following Bai Ling’s instructions, offered the young lady her bottled water again.

As he held the bottle to feed her, watching the young lady sip like a kitten, his hand began to tremble uncontrollably.

“W-Why do you drink like that?” Zhu Zhan’s throat felt ablaze, his voice significantly raspier than before.

Tong Ling glanced at Zhu Zhan, confusion evident in her expression at his question.

“Fuck! Are you deliberately tormenting me?” Unable to continue feeding her, Zhu Zhan capped the bottle tightly, his eyes fixed intently on Bai Ling.

“You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you? You think it’s amusing to see me struggle, right? You know I can’t resist, don’t you?”

Before Bai Ling could respond, Zhu Zhan stepped closer and gripped her shoulders. He felt her body subtly shudder, a sign of fear. Instead of deterring him, this reaction only intensified the impulse within him.

“If you’re scared, why didn’t you stay away from me? Why did you let me get close? Why do you still show such innocence towards me?”

Zhu Zhan knew that no matter how much he spoke or tried to find excuses, it was futile.

He leaned down and fiercely captured the girl’s lips with his own.

It was over.

Zhu Zhan pulled the trembling girl tightly against him, ignoring even her muffled sobs. He kissed those lips, which he had longed for so deeply, with an intense passion.

He was aware that he was causing her pain, but their soft sweetness was something he could never get enough of.

Only when the girl nearly fainted in his arms did Zhu Zhan hastily release Bai Ling. Waves of remorse and guilt surged through him, leaving him without any chance to deny what had happened.

“I’m fucking despicable!” Zhu Zhan berated himself while apologizing to Bai Ling, “I’m sorry, I… Go ahead and curse me, or hit me if you want. I promise not to respond; do whatever you wish to me.”

Through tear-filled eyes, Tong Ling glared at Zhu Zhan and asked, “Why can’t you be gentler?”

This was the first sentence Zhu Zhan heard from the young lady since meeting her.

Suddenly realizing his mistake, he understood that he had acted impulsively, making such advances on Bai Ling without giving her a chance to speak or express herself…

“Don’t look at me like that.” Zhu Zhan’s eyes filled with despair as he assessed his own character, “I’m a pervert. Your gaze actually excites me even more.”

“Wah…” Tong Ling sobbed, “Can you let go of me now?”

“Not yet,” Zhu Zhan replied matter-of-factly. “I fear if I don’t take proper care of you, you might collapse again like yesterday in the small woods.”

“Wahh! You sick pervert!” Tong Ling scolded him.

“Yes, I am a pervert,” Zhu Zhan acknowledged softly, embracing the young lady once more. Strangely, admitting this began to calm his nerves.

Tong Ling continued crying, “Wahh! You lying dog!”

“Indeed, I am a dog. Woof woof woof!” Zhu Zhan responded playfully.

Perhaps when one reaches a certain level of perversion, shamelessness takes over. At that moment, Zhu Zhan felt utterly devoid of any self-respect before the young lady. Admitting he was a dog and barking seemed insignificant compared to what else he still desired from her…

“Although I may be a pervert, I am not the same ‘me’ from your memories,” Zhu Zhan tried earnestly to justify himself. “I will learn to treat you gently and won’t repeat those ex-… excessively inappropriate actions.”

“So you won’t pull down my skirt outside or randomly touch me?” Tong Ling blurted out, improvising her words. “And you wouldn’t push me to the ground, nor make me give you…”

“Stop, stop, stop!” Zhu Zhan hastily covered the young lady’s mouth, his heart racing wildly and unsure where to even look. “I… I wouldn’t…”

Damn! Zhu Zhan couldn’t continue denying anything she said; each word from the young lady aroused him. Would he really refrain from acting on those impulses? Even Zhu Zhan doubted himself…

“In any case, I will treat you well,” Zhu Zhan declared. His understanding of relationships was limited; he had never been intimate with any other woman. Bai Ling was the only one who stirred such desires within him, yet it felt like there was still not enough closeness. He believed he should take responsibility for his actions.

“I… let’s be together,” Zhu Zhan stammered, face flushed red. “Be my girlfriend, then…”

Then, at least, he wouldn’t feel like he was committing wrongdoing.

Tong Ling remained silent.

There was no way she would agree to such a request. To dispel Zhu Zhan’s naive notions, she responded bluntly, “If you can refrain from touching me, we could consider being together.”

Zhu Zhan, taken aback, voiced his heartfelt confusion, “Why? Why can’t I touch you if we’re dating?!”

Tong Ling softly replied, “In a relationship, mutual respect is important. You must respect my wishes and not force me…”

Zhu Zhan fell silent.

A single thought flashed through his mind: Perverts don’t deserve to have girlfriends.

“You should leave now.”

The young lady harbored no extra affection towards him; even enduring her fear to speak these few words was challenging for her.

Just as they began to converse calmly, Bai Ling urged Zhu Zhan to depart.

“I…” Zhu Zhan desperately wanted to say he would stay by Bai Ling’s side to take care of her, but he knew it was highly impractical. He needed to work for food and find ways to explore the deserted island, hoping to discover more edible resources.

Without sustenance, he couldn’t survive, let alone care for this young lady.

Yet, leaving just like that left him somewhat reluctant. “What do you need from me?”

Zhu Zhan sought a deeper connection with Bai Ling, at least enough to give him a reason to return to her side without always seeming intrusive…

“I need a toothbrush, towels…” Tong Ling bit her lip and lowered her head, “I also want to take a bath…”

Zhu Zhan was momentarily speechless.

While they were still focused on mere survival, this young lady had already started thinking about comforts of daily life.

Feeling helpless yet unwilling to disappoint Bai Ling, Zhu Zhan responded, “I’ll find a way.”

For a toothbrush, he could use a wooden stick as the handle and somehow source plant fibers for the bristles. The challenge would be figuring out how to make toothpaste; he’d ask Fu Jingyan about it later. As for towels… he’d search through the wreckage again, but bathing…

Zhu Zhan’s thoughts involuntarily drifted towards inappropriate subjects once more.

“I found fruit trees!” Xuan Yiqing’s joyful shout suddenly echoed from afar.

Quickly snapping back to reality, Zhu Zhan first looked at Bai Ling.

“Go ahead,” Tong Ling gently nudged Zhu Zhan, who was still holding onto her without letting go. “Help Qingqing.”

Reluctantly, Zhu Zhan released his grip but couldn’t help asking a few more questions before leaving: “How are you feeling? Did I hurt you this time? If anything feels uncomfortable, please tell me…”

Tong Ling’s response was to turn away, ignoring him.

Zhu Zhan reluctantly stepped back, glancing over his shoulder multiple times before finally losing sight of her slender figure. Then, he swiftly ran towards the source of Bai Ling’s voice.

Following Bai Ling’s description of the forest terrain, Xuan Yiqing had marked their path diligently. From early morning until afternoon, after walking tirelessly all day, she finally found a fruit tree closely resembling the one Bai Ling described.

Her exhausted mood instantly lifted at this discovery.

Xuan Yiqing’s stomach growled with hunger, her throat parched as if smoking dry. The desert island’s daytime sun scorched her skin painfully. She had always been somewhat dissatisfied with her slightly tanned complexion, longing for fair and delicate porcelain-like skin—like Bai Ling’s smooth and silky texture, which seemed so appealing to touch. However, the stark contrast between herself and Bai Ling often plunged Xuan Yiqing into a gloomy state.

Why is fate so unfair? Some are born as cherished young ladies, while others endure poverty, having to rely solely on themselves for everything. Since arriving on this deserted island, Xuan Yiqing’s past complaints gradually vanished.

Here on this island, the social disparity between her and the young lady had vanished. Even those exceptional young masters now acknowledged her presence. Although physically exhausted, Xuan Yiqing felt genuinely happy inside. She understood that her contributions far exceeded Bai Ling’s, especially since Bai Ling relied heavily on her—this meant she could gain even more recognition.

Just like at this moment, Xuan Yiqing stood beneath several fruit trees, basking in the surprised admiration of the group, her heart filled with satisfaction.

“These fruits are edible, but the tree trunks are too tall; we need to climb up,” Xuan Yiqing explained to the others. “I can’t do it alone, so I’ll require your assistance.”

Fu Jingyan promptly praised her, “Miss Xuan has worked very hard. Let us take over from here and harvest the fruits.”

“Yes, yes! Sister Xuan is truly amazing, finding food all by herself!” Duan Jiaze clapped his hands enthusiastically, beaming brightly at Xuan Yiqing.

Although Duan Jiayou didn’t echo Jiaze’s praise simultaneously, he also smiled at Xuan Yiqing.

Blushing, Xuan Yiqing waved her hand modestly. “It’s nothing, as long as I can be helpful.”

“Miss Xuan, your contribution is immense,” Fu Jingyan said.

Facing Fu Jingyan’s cultured and handsome face, Xuan Yiqing’s heart skipped a beat. “Actually, you don’t need to call me Miss Xuan; I think… we should be friends now, right?”

“Then shall I call you Yiqing?” Fu Jingyan readily agreed.

It was just a name, after all. Humoring her wouldn’t hurt, as long as Xuan Yiqing remained useful. Fu Jingyan didn’t mind showing a bit more patience towards her.

Xuan Yiqing bashfully nodded. “Then I’ll call you… Jingyan?”

Hearing this form of address, Fu Jingyan couldn’t help but recall the charming girl from last night on the beach. With a slight change in expression, he said, “Just follow Little Zuo, Little You, and the others by calling me Fu Ge—it feels unnatural for someone else to use such a formal name.”

”…Okay.” Xuan Yiqing understood that Fu Jingyan hadn’t yet formed any strong impressions about her, but it didn’t matter. Sooner or later, she would gradually grow closer with this group.

The last to arrive was Zhu Zhan, who didn’t even have time to thank Xuan Yiqing before immediately climbing the tree.

“Zhu Zhan, where did you go just now?” Ever since Fu Jingyan realized Zhu Zhan’s interest in Bai Ling, he had become more guarded around him. However, with numerous responsibilities and tasks to manage, it was impossible for him to constantly keep an eye on one person alone. Whenever Zhu Zhan disappeared from sight, Fu Jingyan couldn’t afford to abandon his work to search for him. This situation often left him unsettled, as his thoughts continually drifted towards the young lady’s well-being.

Having acknowledged himself as a pervert, Zhu Zhan naturally wouldn’t discuss such matters anymore, not even with his trusted friend Fu Jingyan—he kept these secrets tightly guarded.

“I just went for a break; chopping wood made my hands sore,” Zhu Zhan replied casually. He had always been athletic, easily climbing trees with swift movements.

First, he picked a fruit, wiped it haphazardly on his clothes, and took a bite to test its flavor. As soon as the fruit hit his tongue, his face scrunched up.

“Yikes… Too sour!” With a lingering tartness in his mouth, Zhu Zhan turned to Xuan Yiqing and asked, “Are you sure this fruit is edible?”

Xuan Yiqing hastily responded, “You might have picked an unripe one; they need careful selection.”

Fu Jingyan, dissatisfied with Zhu Zhan’s fussiness, retorted, “We’re lucky to find any edible fruit here; why be so picky?”

Zhu Zhan thought to himself that it wasn’t his own fussiness but rather the young lady’s discerning tastes. The young mistress would never touch such sour fruits. For her sake, he definitely needed to select carefully…

Zhu Zhan took off his jacket, filled its pockets with fruits, climbed down from the tree, and greeted everyone before rushing towards the beach to wash the harvest.

The twins and Fu Jingyan weren’t idle either, each climbing different fruit trees. Adhering to sustainable principles, they didn’t over-pick. After descending, they generously shared some of their fruits with Xuan Yiqing as compensation for her efforts.

They hadn’t managed to construct shelter today, only cutting logs for a foundation. However, finding these fruit trees so quickly lifted everyone’s spirits significantly.

For some reason, Xuan Yiqing glanced at the group of young masters nearby. Whether it was Fu Jingyan, Zhu Zhan, or even the twins, while washing the fruits, they all took small bites to taste them. They separated the predominantly tart ones, placing the few sweet fruits aside separately. Witnessing this uniform wasteful behavior, Xuan Yiqing inwardly sighed, thinking how even on a deserted island, the wealthy remained unchanged in their extravagance.

Why bite into fruits if not going to eat them? Shouldn’t they be properly stored for later use?

Concerned about their survival, Xuan Yiqing gently reminded them, “Don’t waste food.” After receiving dismissive responses, she sighed and walked back to the campsite.

Xuan Yiqing could only manage eating a few fruits before feeling unable to consume any more. While these fruits helped fill her stomach, their intense sourness left a bitter taste in her mouth. Despite this, she dared not waste even a bit, carefully hiding away the remaining fruits she had gathered. Then, she ventured towards the woods to bring Bai Ling back.

“Lingling, have you eaten anything today?” Xuan Yiqing asked with concern upon seeing Bai Ling.

Aware that Bai Ling couldn’t contribute much physically, it was Xuan Yiqing who suggested she rest alone in the woods. On the surface, it seemed like Bai Ling had no obligations, but in reality, those who didn’t work received very little food. The eventual fate of someone ostracized from the group was clear.

Xuan Yiqing didn’t explicitly explain this to the young lady; instead, she simply urged Bai Ling to take care and rest well. From her pocket, she produced a fruit, feigning reluctance as she offered it to Bai Ling.

“I searched all day and found these few fruits; you should eat them quickly.”

How could Tong Ling let the protagonist make such sacrifices for her? She promptly and firmly declined, saying, “Qingqing, this food is what you found. You’ve been busy for so long; there’s no need to save anything for me. Please eat it yourself.”

M577 snarked, 【 Clearly, you just look down on the things the protagonist offers—how can you act with such righteous indignation…? 】

Xuan Yiqing looked conflicted. “Are you really sure?”

Tong Ling shook her head. “I’m not hungry.”

“Alright then…” Xuan Yiqing put away the fruit and carefully helped Bai Ling up. “Let’s return to the campsite. Tonight, Fu Ge will still allocate some food to us.”

At the same spot, they lit another bonfire.

Upon arriving at the campsite, strangely enough, aside from Duan Jiayou, nobody else greeted Tong Ling voluntarily this time.

“Elder Sister Bai!” Duan Jiayou waved his arm enthusiastically, but as soon as he noticed no one around was responding, it slowly drooped back down.

Duan Jiayou discreetly observed the reactions of those nearby. When he saw Duan Jiaze’s gaze darting about restlessly, his own expression grew considerably gloomier.

Zhu Zhan’s silence stemmed from knowing that the young lady wouldn’t acknowledge him in front of others, but he no longer cared about such things—after all… after all, privately, he would still seek her out.

Duan Jiaze remained quiet because he feared any interaction with Bai Ling might reveal his feelings to his brother. To conceal this relationship, it was best not to show anything at all.

As for Fu Jingyan, he put his hand into his pocket and squeezed the bottle of medicine inside, feeling somewhat confident.

“Everyone must be tired after being busy all day,” Xuan Yiqing comforted Bai Ling, allowing her to continue leaning against her. She noticed that none present mentioned the fruit trees and silently thought these young masters were even less considerate than herself. At least when she had food, she wanted to share it with Bai Ling; they didn’t mention it at all. It seemed that in this environment, each one had become selfish and indifferent.

But what could you expect from Miss Bai, who contributed nothing? Xuan Yiqing sighed softly, her gaze towards Bai Ling carrying a hint of affectionate pity.

The corner of m577’s mouth twitched: ”…What kind of look is the protagonist giving?”

Tong Ling responded to the system, “Pitying me, how truly kind the protagonist is.”

M577 couldn’t help but think that the protagonist’s eyes were truly blind—in this group, the one least deserving of pity was its own host, who enjoyed ample food, leisure, and comfort!

As usual, Fu Jingyan distributed some food to everyone. After they finished eating, he instructed them all to rest.

“Is Fu Ge still keeping watch tonight?” Duan Jiaze suddenly asked.

“You kept watch the whole night yesterday?” Zhu Zhan, genuinely concerned for Fu Jingyan’s well-being, said, “Don’t exhaust yourself.”

“How about we take turns on watch duty so Fu Ge doesn’t get too tired?” Duan Jiaze suggested.

Duan Jiayou and Zhu Zhan had no objections.

“No need,” Fu Jingyan declined. “You’re all young; go to sleep early. I’ll keep watch these first few nights, then once our shelter is built, I can resume normal rest.”

Duan Jiaze wanted to persuade him further, but Fu Jingyan held considerable influence—few would oppose what he said, rendering his suggestion ineffective.

This left Duan Jiaze somewhat vexed. He didn’t believe for a second that Fu Jingyan wouldn’t do anything while on watch; how hadn’t he noticed this man’s hypocrisy before?

However, Duan Jiaze wasn’t yet ready to openly confront Fu Jingyan. Once their survival concerns on the deserted island diminished, he’d find a way to make Bai Ling abandon him.

The night wind carried a chill, and the flames flickered.

One by one, the weary group members drifted off to sleep. Fu Jingyan sat on the side, his gaze fixed on the sleeping girl as he waited…

At the appointed time, the white-robed maiden rose. Just like the previous night, she approached him and took his hand.

This time, without needing her to beckon, Fu Jingyan swiftly embraced the delicate body of the young lady and headed towards the beach with this flower in tow.

It had been a day now. He believed his young lady needed him, and he had many questions that required her answers.