Chapter 4: Put Away Your Spoiled Temper

Lin Feng said, “Before we head into the forest to find shelter, let’s write a distress signal on the beach, hoping to be rescued soon.”

In truth, he held little hope—it was merely a token gesture. Otherwise, he would have written the signal the moment he woke up.

“All right!” Cheng Xiangyu quickly agreed, silently praying for a swift rescue so she could return and give Lin Feng a severe scolding.

Then they wrote a large SOS on the sand.

Lin Feng wrapped his pants around his arm, lifted his skirt over his head as a makeshift hat, and turned toward the forest.

Seeing this, Cheng Xiangyu thought about finding the bodyguard to give him a proper reprimand. She also recalled how Lin Feng had nearly taken advantage of her earlier and felt that being alone with him was extremely dangerous—he could force himself on her at any moment.

She stepped forward and said, “We’re going into the forest now. Aren’t we going to keep searching the beach?”

Lin Feng shook his head. “No more searching. On an isolated island like this, finding a female corpse with some supplies is already lucky.”

“Besides, the forest is vast, overgrown with weeds and thorns. The paths are rough; finding a suitable shelter won’t be easy.”

Cheng Xiangyu grew anxious. “Why stop searching? What if there are other survivors?”

Lin Feng remained indifferent.

She hurriedly added, “Let’s look a little more; maybe, by some chance, we’ll find wreckage from the cruise ship!”

But he paid no heed, convinced the odds were too slim—after all, even the wooden plank he had clung to during the accident was nowhere to be found.

Cheng Xiangyu tried to persuade him a few more times, but Lin Feng continued walking without looking back.

Watching him move farther away, and recalling the corpse buried nearby with its pale, terrifying face, she felt a chill run down her spine.

Unable to bear being alone, she gritted her teeth and hurried to catch up.

Still, she clenched her fists, vowing that if he tried to take advantage of her, she would resist with all her might.

At the forest’s edge, Lin Feng glanced at the sun’s position, estimating it was around four o’clock.

He then turned to Cheng Xiangyu and said, “I plan to spend an hour looking for shelter. If we can’t find one, we’ll make a temporary one before nightfall.”

“Oh!” Cheng Xiangyu replied, about to ask how they would keep track of time given their lack of tools.

Before she could speak, Lin Feng explained, “One breath averages about 2.5 seconds. You count the breaths, and when you reach one thousand five hundred, let me know.”

Surprised but impressed that Lin Feng could think of this in such a moment, she nodded and began counting breaths.

Lin Feng, still somewhat uneasy due to his inexperience, counted silently as well.

He then surveyed the forest: dense weeds and thorns with no clear path—the way ahead would need to be cut through.

He turned to Cheng Xiangyu and handed her the skirt.

She quickly turned away. “Get that away from me! That belonged to a corpse—I don’t want anything to do with it.”

Lin Feng was a bit speechless. He set the skirt aside and ventured into the forest to find a sturdy branch.

“Choice one or two: do you want to use this branch to clear the path or carry the skirt?”

“If you want to follow me, you have to work—I don’t want a burden.”

“Otherwise, don’t follow me.”

Cheng Xiangyu curled her lips, thinking that if he weren’t the only person here and if she weren’t so scared, she wouldn’t be following him at all.

Though annoyed, she replied, “I’ll use the branch to clear the path.”

Lin Feng chuckled, “Are you sure? Aren’t you afraid your delicate hands will blister soon?”

She scoffed, “Who do you think you’re underestimating?”

With that, she took the branch and led the way, pushing aside the thorns and weeds to make a narrow trail.

After only ten minutes, her hands began to ache. Looking closely, sure enough, blisters had formed just as Lin Feng had predicted.

Lin Feng smiled. “Blisters, huh? Better if you carry the skirt and I clear the path with the stick.”

Already irritated by the pain, Cheng Xiangyu’s temper flared. “I’m not doing this anymore—no path clearing, no carrying the skirt.”

She tossed the branch aside in frustration.

Lin Feng was exasperated. “You think you’re some pampered young lady here? Get to work, or don’t follow me. Don’t blame me for being harsh.”

Cheng Xiangyu retorted, “Fine, I won’t follow you then.”

“Suit yourself,” Lin Feng said, eager to find shelter and unwilling to waste time arguing.

He draped the skirt over his shoulders, picked up the branch again, and tied the sanitary pad he had used earlier around his hand before continuing to clear the path.

Cheng Xiangyu finally understood why Lin Feng insisted on keeping that pad. Looking at her own blistered hands, she sighed, realizing that a pad barrier would have prevented the sores.

After a while, Lin Feng called over his shoulder, “Don’t follow me.”

Cheng Xiangyu stuck out her tongue. “Hmph, whoever follows you is the puppy.”

Lin Feng resumed cutting through the forest.

After some distance, his eyes suddenly brightened.

“Houttuynia!” he exclaimed.

This was a valuable plant—not only edible but also known for clearing heat, detoxifying, and treating pneumonia.

Perfect for the potential lung inflammation caused by swallowing seawater.

What delighted Lin Feng most was the vast patch of Houttuynia with wide leaves nearby, a sign that fresh water was close.

He hurriedly searched and indeed found a small pool of water.

He scooped some up and tasted it, noting it was even less salty than the seawater he had filtered through the sanitary pad.

Fresh water!

“Wow, so much water! This is great!”

Just then, Cheng Xiangyu’s excited scream rang in his ears.

He saw her squat down and cup water in her hands, about to drink.

“Stop!” Lin Feng shouted, slapping the water from her hands.

“What are you doing? I’m dying of thirst! I’m going to drink!”

Already parched, Cheng Xiangyu’s frustration grew when Lin Feng stopped her.

“This water took effort to find. If you want to drink, you’ll have to trade something.”

He stood firm, blocking her from reaching the pool.

Her face changed. “Besides myself, I have nothing. What do you want?”

Lin Feng flashed a sly grin. “Heh heh heh, what do you think I want?”

With that, he spread his arms and lunged toward her.

“Step back, or don’t blame me if I get rough!”

“Heh heh, what roughness could you possibly do?”

Lin Feng teased wickedly, moving quickly to pull her into his arms.

“Ah!” Cheng Xiangyu screamed, struggling desperately, but as a weak woman, hungry and thirsty, she had no chance.

When he slipped his hand beneath her skirt again and she couldn’t break free, tears welled up in her eyes. “Wah wah wah…”