Chapter 56: Wild Dodder (14)

Neither Fu Jingyan nor Zhu Zhan attempted to stop Bai Ling.

What could they do? With her stomach empty and suffering from heart pain, how could they selfishly force her to stay for their own desires?

Despite wanting her, neither had the heart to act so cruelly!

“So…it was medicine all along…” Zhu Zhan’s expression shifted with realization, and when he turned to look at Fu Jingyan again, his eyes filled with disdain. “This is why the young lady chose you; as long as she needs that medicine, she truly can’t leave your side.”

Zhu Zhan now understood why Bai Ling told him it was something he couldn’t provide—how could he possibly have access to her medication? In this aspect, he indeed fell short compared to Fu Jingyan.

Fu Jingyan’s face was beyond mere displeasure; it reflected utter devastation. He had never felt so defeated before. All his confidence crumbled the moment Bai Ling turned away to leave. He thought, at least, the young lady would ask him to help find the medicine, stay by his side seeking comfort, and together they could brainstorm solutions…

Instead, she didn’t give him even a chance. Upon realizing he couldn’t supply what she needed, she left without hesitation.

Yet, Fu Jingyan couldn’t bring himself to stop her, nor did he feel justified in doing so.

“She will return to me,” Fu Jingyan said with a dark gaze directed at Zhu Zhan. “As for you… if you truly have the medicine, please go administer it to her right now.”

“Don’t let our competition harm her health.”

Zhu Zhan’s face twisted with anger at Fu Jingyan’s words. “Do you think only you care for Bai Ling the most? Do you believe I don’t feel for her pain? If I had the medicine, would I waste time arguing with you here?”

Realizing he couldn’t help the young lady, Zhu Zhan… stopped himself from pursuing her further.

He wasn’t much better than Fu Jingyan; both were equally powerless.

Fu Jingyan also became uncertain due to Zhu Zhan’s reaction. Given Zhu Zhan’s character, it seemed highly unlikely that he could feign such concern convincingly.

If Zhu Zhan could act this well, he’d be genuinely terrifying…

“You mentioned the twins…” Fu Jingyan decided to hear out Zhu Zhan’s account.

Zhu Zhan recounted how the twins led him to discover Fu Jingyan and Bai Ling’s secret, as well as what they confessed under his threats during the day.

“They took note of your unfair food distribution,” Zhu Zhan scoffed coldly. “Only those twins would steal the supplies.”

Fu Jingyan didn’t fully trust Zhu Zhan’s words, as there were too many suspicions surrounding him. However, regarding the twins… if indeed, as Zhu Zhan claimed, they had been observing him for some time…

Losing food, Fu Jingyan could manage by finding more, but his greatest fear was someone else obtaining those pills.

His young lady was incredibly obedient and would do anything for her medication.

Would others be as restrained as he? What if someone made unreasonable demands of the young lady? How would she react?

Fu Jingyan dared not dwell on these thoughts; the most crucial task now was to locate that bottle of pills!

“Come with me,” Fu Jingyan instructed Zhu Zhan, not allowing him to act alone. “Let’s search the woods where we were yesterday to see if the pill bottle might have fallen there.”

Fu Jingyan outlined several possible locations where the bottle could have been misplaced. If it wasn’t found… their only option would be to confront the twins directly.

Despite Zhu Zhan’s deep disdain for Fu Jingyan, even at this critical moment, he did not oppose his suggestion. Suppressing their mutual animosity, the two began searching together.

Meanwhile, after entering the woods, Tong Ling had been led by the twins to a location far away from Fu Jingyan and Zhu Zhan.

After obtaining the medicine bottle, this was the twins’ hard-won opportunity to interact with the young lady.

“Does it really hurt that much?” Duan Jiaze’s face showed concern as he instinctively pulled the young lady close and took out the bottle, ready to administer her medication.

“How did you get the medicine?” Tong Ling looked at these two identical handsome youths before her. “Did you steal it from Jingyan…?”

“Don’t use the word ‘steal’, now.” Duan Jiayou rose and sat on the other side of the young lady, wrapping his arms around her soft waist. He said, “Elder Sister Bai, we retrieved the medicine just for you. This time, you can’t leave me behind.”

“Our relationship can endure forever, right?” Duan Jiayou raised his eyebrows smugly. “Between us, it will never end.”

Tong Ling didn’t contradict Duan Jiayou; her gaze quietly settled on the pill in Duan Jiaze’s hand.

“Little You, let go of Elder Sister Bai a bit first—I need to give her the medicine,” Duan Jiaze said, frowning as he saw how closely Duan Jiayou was pressed against Bai Ling.

“Just feed her like this, Xiao Zuo,” Duan Jiayou said, not seeing anything wrong with his position. “Giving medicine isn’t that complicated; just hand Elder Sister Bai the pill and some water—she can take it herself.”

Duan Jiaze fell silent.

He had no desire to feed her so mundanely; he was thinking…

“Xiao Zuo.” Tong Ling tilted her head and voluntarily opened her mouth, saying, “Come, feed me.”

Seeing the delicate shape of the young lady’s lips and her obedient demeanor, the warmth within Duan Jiaze’s heart instantly spread. The corners of his mouth curved upwards, disregarding his brother’s presence nearby. He took the pill and water into his own mouth, then leaned forward like a bird feeding its chick, transferring the medication and liquid to her.

As the young lady swallowed the pill, Duan Jiaze did not immediately pull away. His lips remained pressed against the young lady’s red, soft ones, almost possessively savoring the sweetness within her mouth.

In the quiet night, even the slightest sounds were distinctly noticeable. Sitting close by and still holding the young lady, Duan Jiayou could clearly feel her trembling body and hear her pleasing moans.

The feeling of being so close yet excluded ignited anew a surge of jealousy and discontent within Duan Jiayou’s heart. Unable to resist, he exerted some force, pulling the young lady away from Duan Jiaze.

With a soft gasp, the young lady obediently leaned against Duan Jiayou. Her eyes were hazy as she weakly clutched at his collar, her fair and lovely face flushed with a hint of redness. Breathing lightly, she said, “Little You… be gentler.”

This abrupt interruption halted the feeding process. Duan Jiaze panted, his entire body expressing dissatisfaction, and even felt irked with Duan Jiayou now. “What are you doing, Little You?! Who told you to take Elder Sister Bai away?!”

“Xiao Zuo, didn’t you see that Elder Sister Bai was struggling to breathe? With how you were feeding her, she’d have trouble catching her breath!” As Duan Jiayou spoke, he took out a piece of candy from his pocket, peeled off the wrapper, and placed it into Bai Ling’s mouth. “From now on, I’ll feed Elder Sister Bai.”

As soon as the candy touched her tongue, the girl couldn’t help but smile, her eyes curving happily.

This time, the candy was strawberry-flavored—her favorite taste.

The young lady’s preferences were immediately apparent; seeing Bai Ling happily enjoying the candy, Duan Jiayou couldn’t help but wear a satisfied smile.

Duan Jiayou lifted his chin and said to Duan Jiaze, “Go sit over there for now. Once I’ve fed her, we’ll go back together.”

Duan Jiaze was instantly displeased. “Why should you feed her alone? I want to feed her too!”

“You already administered the medicine, so feeding her is my job,” Duan Jiayou declared firmly. “Moreover, Elder Sister Bai likes the food I give her. Isn’t it better if we divide the tasks?”

“No…” No matter how Duan Jiaze thought about it, he felt like he was getting the short end of the stick. “It’s not fair. The time spent giving medication was so brief—I haven’t… Feeding takes much longer, no matter how you look at it, you’re getting the better deal.”

Duan Jiayou didn’t quite agree with his brother’s argument. “What do you mean by ‘getting the better deal’? The food belongs to me; there’s nothing wrong with me using my own food to feed Elder Sister Bai, right?”

Seeing that Duan Jiaze remained conflicted, Duan Jiayou bluntly suggested, “Xiao Zuo, if you’re dissatisfied with my division, why don’t you hand over the medicine? From now on, I’ll be responsible for administering the medicine, and you can handle the feeding. Are you willing?”

To the young lady’s eyes, it was self-evident whether medicine or food was more important.

Duan Jiaze clutched the bottle of medication tightly and, somewhat reluctantly, said, “Don’t waste too much time. If Elder Sister Bai feels unwell, you won’t be able to continue…”

“Alright, alright, you’re so naggy.” Duan Jiayou tightened his embrace around the girl, leaning close to her ear and cheerfully saying, “Elder Sister Bai, I’ll make sure to feed you well.”

The young lady gripped Duan Jiayou’s collar, unable to utter a word.

Sitting nearby, Duan Jiaze felt an unrelenting warmth emanating from his body, and once again, the desire surfaced within him—to possess the young lady exclusively rather than share her.

However, he knew this wish couldn’t be fulfilled here. He couldn’t abandon his brother, nor could he leave him behind.

Zhu Zhan had already set his sights on them both, and if Fu Jingyan failed to find the medicine, there was no telling whether he would believe Zhu Zhan’s words and shift his focus onto them.

Getting entangled with those two would be incredibly troublesome; they wouldn’t be able to continue caring for the young lady…

With this thought, Duan Jiaze interrupted Duan Jiayou’s slow feeding and solemnly said, “Little You, we need to figure out how to deal with those two.”

Duan Jiayou fell silent. If this weren’t his own brother, he’d really want to kick him out. “Must you discuss such matters right now?”

“We’re running out of time.” Duan Jiaze crouched down in front of them. “When Fu Jingyan returns to the log cabin and sees that Elder Sister Bai and we aren’t there, what do you think he’ll assume?”

Duan Jiayou knew their actions were highly suspicious, but he couldn’t bear to watch Bai Ling go hungry without taking her medication. That’s why he and Xiao Zuo were here; they initially planned to return promptly after feeding her, never expecting it would take so long…

Suddenly, an idea struck Duan Jiayou. “Why don’t we run away with Elder Sister Bai? We have food anyway, so why should we stay with those others?”

The suggestion intrigued Duan Jiaze as well. “Mm… We could build our own shelter, just for the three of us.”

In Tong Ling’s mind, m577 sounded an alarm: [Bell Sister, quickly interrupt their thoughts, or the plot will collapse!]

There was no scenario in the original story where the twins fled with the female supporting character!

How could Tong Ling let the plot slip from her control? With just one sentence, she dissuaded the twins’ idea: “If I disappear, they’ll desperately search for me. As long as they’re around, we won’t be able to escape.”

The twins hadn’t overlooked this possibility and responded dejectedly, “Ugh, it’s so annoying! Just thinking about facing those two again is infuriating!”

“I can go back first,” Tong Ling said. “I won’t say anything.”

Duan Jiayou pecked kisses on the young lady’s cheeks. “Elder Sister Bai, you’re such a sweetheart. Are you always this sweet with everyone?”

Tong Ling stood up from Duan Jiayou’s embrace, then leaned down to gently kiss his cheek. “Because the ones taking care of me now are both of you.”

Recalling Fu Jingyan, whom the young lady had abandoned, the twins felt a sudden mix of emotions…

However, they swiftly set aside these complex feelings. Someone like Fu Jingyan lacked the ability to properly protect the young lady; being discarded was only natural!

Unlike him, they were different.

The twins exchanged glances—being the most attuned brothers, anyone trying to take her away from them would be dreaming!

They were different.

The twins exchanged glances; as the most closely bonded brothers, they wouldn’t let anyone be taken from under their watch—dream on!

“Elder Sister Bai, I want one too.” Duan Jiaze approached Bai Ling and pointed to his own cheek.

Tong Ling tiptoed to give Duan Jiaze a kiss. As he leaned closer, she asked, “Will you keep my medicine safe?”

“We will, don’t worry, Elder Sister Bai. We won’t let anyone else touch your medicine again,” the twins responded.

Smiling, Tong Ling slowly walked towards the log cabin under their watchful gaze.

Once the young lady left, the twins began discussing their strategy.

“We can’t carry the medicine bottle with us anymore.” Duan Jiaze scanned the surroundings, looking for suitable hiding spots. “Fu Jingyan and Zhu Zhan might try to search us.”

“Let’s hide it with our food,” suggested Duan Jiayou.

Duan Jiaze shook his head. “We should split up and hide them separately—you take care of the food, and I’ll handle the medicine. This way, neither of us knows where the other has hidden things, making it safer.”

Duan Jiayou did not object. After they separately hid their items and discussed briefly, they leisurely returned to the log cabin.

Inside the cabin:

Fu Jingyan and Zhu Zhan hadn’t rested at all. They searched through the woods, along the shoreline, and within the house but found nothing. With Bai Ling and the twins nowhere in sight, how could they possibly relax?

Even Xuan Yiqing was disturbed from her sleep by the sound of their searching and groggily asked, “What’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“Nothing much, just had some things stolen,” Fu Jingyan replied. Of course, he wouldn’t reveal his encounter with Bai Ling to others. “Yiqing, go back to sleep.”

“Things stolen?” Xuan Yiqing instantly became alert. “Who stole them? Is there a thief among our team?”

Hearing this, Zhu Zhan scoffed, “Not only a thief, but also a bandit.”

“What do you mean by ‘bandit’?” Xuan Yiqing was confused by their conversation.

Fu Jingyan shot a glare at Zhu Zhan. Fortunately, Zhu Zhan knew what should and shouldn’t be said, promptly closing his mouth.

“How come some people seem to be missing…” Xuan Yiqing sat up. Due to the day’s strenuous activities, she usually slept deeply at night, and this was the first time she noticed that individuals were absent from the campsite after dark.

Fu Jingyan’s suspicion of the twins had reached its peak. The thought of someone else drugging the young lady instead stirred darker ideas in his mind.

He couldn’t rush; he needed to find the drug first. Suppressing those ominous thoughts, Fu Jingyan maintained a composed exterior, revealing nothing.

When Tong Ling returned to the log cabin, she was met with three pairs of focused eyes.

“Lingling, where did you go?” Xuan Yiqing asked immediately upon seeing her.

“Just took a stroll around…” As Tong Ling spoke, she headed back to her makeshift “bed” and lay down without sparing a glance at Fu Jingyan or Zhu Zhan.

Neither Fu Jingyan nor Zhu Zhan responded, their moods heavily subdued, yet they said nothing.

It wasn’t until the twins returned that Fu Jingyan and Zhu Zhan began to shake off their gloom.

Zhu Zhan broke the silence first, suggesting, “Let’s talk outside?”

Realizing they couldn’t avoid this confrontation, Duan Jiaze and Duan Jiayou didn’t object. Quietly, everyone left the log cabin without disturbing the sleeping young ladies.

Only Xuan Yiqing remained, bewildered at the scene. “What exactly is going on…?”

Something must have happened between these men. Xuan Yiqing wanted to follow them but feared being noticed. She tossed and turned restlessly for a long time atop her leaf bed, unable to sleep. Seeing Bai Ling beside her, peacefully snoring away, stirred mixed feelings within her.

“How can she still sleep at a time like this…” Xuan Yiqing muttered. “The atmosphere among us has become so strained; how can the young lady be so oblivious…”

Xuan Yiqing was unaware of what had transpired during their conversation. However, the next day, she noticed additional cuts on the twins’ faces. Upon seeing Zhu Zhan, they clenched their teeth angrily and specifically approached her to warn about his violent tendencies, claiming he would hit anyone indiscriminately!

Fu Jingyan appeared significantly quieter than usual.

A peculiar tension hung over the group of men, making Xuan Yiqing feel uneasy whenever near them.

“Fu Ge, what exactly is going on…?” Unable to suppress her curiosity, Xuan Yiqing asked Fu Jingyan.

“Just a minor issue; it’ll be resolved soon,” Fu Jingyan replied with a smile. “Yiqing, there’s something I’d like to ask your help with.”

Under Fu Jingyan’s gaze, Xuan Yiqing’s heart involuntarily raced again. “Go ahead…”

“I mentioned someone stealing before because our salvaged food from the plane was being consumed too quickly. It’s impossible for me alone to keep such close watch…” Fu Jingyan said.

Xuan Yiqing was surprised. “What you mean is… our food has been stolen?”

“At first, I didn’t want to suspect anyone, but…” Fu Jingyan sighed. “The twins’ suspicion is truly overwhelming. With two of them, hiding things would be quite convenient. They’re also very cautious around me; following them outright would draw too much attention. Not only would we fail to find evidence, but it could disrupt the team’s unity.”

Now Xuan Yiqing understood why the twins had gotten beaten up. “Zhu Zhan hit them over this matter?”

“I didn’t want Zhu Zhan to take action—he’s too impulsive.” Fu Jingyan looked resigned. “This way, we won’t learn anything at all.”

Xuan Yiqing was not unintelligent; she immediately grasped what Fu Jingyan wanted from her.

“I can try tracking them,” Xuan Yiqing said, “and do my best to avoid being noticed.”

“No need to be too anxious,” Fu Jingyan reassured her. “Just keeping an eye on them regularly should suffice. Alternatively, you could pay attention to Little Ling.”

“Little Ling?” Xuan Yiqing’s eyes widened. “Is this matter also connected to Lingling?”

“Ling won’t let us approach her, but she wouldn’t avoid you.” Fu Jingyan lowered his gaze. “I’m unsure about the relationship between the twins and Little Ling privately. If they have a good rapport, she might even share food with them.”

“How could she be involved with the twins…” Xuan Yiqing exclaimed incredulously, “Would they secretly eat without sharing with us?”

The thought of Bai Ling receiving secret nourishment while Xuan Yiqing subsisted on wild vegetables daily felt unbearably foolish to her.

“I don’t want such selfish individuals within our team,” Fu Jingyan murmured softly. “We must identify them, don’t you agree?”

Xuan Yiqing vigorously nodded. “I’ll definitely help!”

No matter who it was, stealing their food couldn’t be tolerated, especially when it came to Bai Ling—it absolutely must not happen!