ocean-life Chapter 10, 4th Survivor
Chapter 10, 4th Survivor
Qin Chuan sat leaning against a low tree, a campfire burning in front of him, occasionally tossing in a piece of dry firewood.
A night breeze blew in from the sea, carrying the salty, fishy smell and dampness. The blue moon hung in the sky, bathing the entire beach in a deep blue light.
It was quiet over by the tent; the two women must have fallen asleep.
Qin Chuan was thinking about what had happened today and his tasks for tomorrow. His attention was getting scattered, and his head was slowly drooping.
Today's physical exertion was indeed great. The daytime running around and the nighttime fight with the wild boar left all my muscles sore and achy.
"Qin Chuan."
A voice pulled him back from his half-asleep state.
Qin Chuan looked up and saw Fan Yubing standing at the tent entrance, barefoot, her banana leaf skirt swaying in the moonlight.
"What is it?"
Fan Yubing hesitated for two seconds, then said, "Um, I need to use the restroom."
Qin Chuan clicked his tongue: "Okay, go ahead. But don't go too far behind the bushes."
"I'm a little scared," Fan Yubing said in a muffled voice. "Could you come with me?"
Qin Chuan looked at her without saying a word for a long time.
After seeing a two-meter-long, three-hundred-pound wild boar tonight, Fan Yubing's sense of security must have been shattered.
During the day, she could still put on a brave face and not show weakness, but at night, in the dark, something could jump out of the bushes at any moment.
An injured woman crouched down alone in the bushes, just in case a snake crawled out from beside her...
"Alright, alright, let's go." Qin Chuan stood up, brushed the sand off his pants, and said, "Hurry up, I still have to keep watch."
The two walked out in the direction of the campfire, passed through two bushes, and came to a relatively clean clearing.
The moonlight shone down from above, making the sand and pebbles on the ground clearly visible.
Fan Yubing looked around, found a shrub that provided some shelter, and then turned to look at Qin Chuan.
Qin Chuan naturally turned around, facing the sea.
The blue moon cast a long, shimmering band of light across the sea, a sight that was quite pleasing to the eye.
The rustling of banana leaves came from behind her; Fan Yubing was untying her simple belt.
The air was silent for a few seconds.
"It's alright, Qin Chuan, you can watch if you want."
Qin Chuan's back stiffened slightly.
"No need, I'm not that kind of person."
"Just keep your eyes on me. I only feel safe when you're looking at me. I always feel like there's a wild animal watching me, and I'm afraid that if you turn your head, that animal will snatch me away."
As he spoke, the sound of someone crouching down came from behind him.
Qin Chuan's lips twitched.
What kind of logic is this? Just a few hours ago she was calling him a pervert and a hooligan, and now she's willingly letting him see her?
"Fine, fine, I'm really impressed with you." Qin Chuan turned his head.
Under the moonlight, Fan Yubing squatted beside a bush, her banana leaf skirt lifted up to her waist, revealing her two long, white legs folded together. The scene flickered in the blue moonlight.
Then came the sound of rushing water.
Qin Chuan felt quite embarrassed. He shifted his gaze upwards, staring at the distant mountain range, but all he could hear was that voice.
Fan Yubing squatted there, somewhat embarrassed: "Don't keep staring at me... Just look into the distance, keep a little bit in your peripheral vision."
"So, are you going to let me see it or not?"
Fan Yubing didn't reply, but sped up.
Half a minute later, the sound of running water stopped. Fan Yubing stood up and hurriedly tied her banana leaf belt, her face still flushed.
"Alright, let's go."
Qin Chuan hummed in agreement and turned to walk towards the camp.
The two walked side by side in silence, an atmosphere that was hard to define.
Fan Yubing took a few steps, then suddenly spoke: "Qin Chuan."
"Um?"
"Thank you for today."
"Don't be so polite, we're all in the same boat. No, we're all on the same island."
Fan Yubing gave a soft "hmm".
As the two were approaching the camp, Qin Chuan suddenly stopped.
Fan Yubing was still walking with her head down and almost bumped into his back: "What's wrong?"
Qin Chuan gestured for silence, his eyes fixed on the direction of the camp.
The campfire was still burning, but there was something else next to it.
A dark figure was lying on the ground, gnawing on something.
Qin Chuan's pupil technique activated instantly, and the information that popped up in his field of vision made him slightly startled—it was a person.
[Human, female, severely dehydrated, starving, with low body temperature. Right foot bitten by a poisonous insect, showing significant redness and swelling, indicating mild poisoning. Vital signs are stable but weak.]
Qin Chuan breathed a sigh of relief and removed his hand from the folding knife.
Fan Yubing couldn't see what it was in the darkness, only a dark shadow lying by the campfire, making a "crunching" sound.
"Ah, a ghost!" Fan Yubing screamed instinctively.
Startled awake by the shout, Lin Shishi scrambled out of the tent, peeking out from behind a banana leaf. Still half-asleep, she asked, "What's wrong? What happened?"
The dark figure was startled by Fan Yubing's shout, and looked up, a pig bone still dangling from its mouth.
The moonlight shone on that face, and Qin Chuan could see it clearly.
She was a young woman, in her early twenties, with long, messy hair plastered to her face.
His face was deathly pale, his lips were chapped, and there was an abrasion on his cheekbone.
He was wearing a dark blue hooded sweatshirt and athletic shorts, and he was completely soaked.
She was holding a piece of roasted meat in her hand, which she had already eaten half of.
The woman trembled as she looked at the two people who had suddenly appeared, and the pork bone in her mouth fell to the ground.
"I...I am, a human being."
Her voice was so weak when she said those words that it sounded like she was spitting out air, and her eyes were filled with fear, but even more so with pleading.
Qin Chuan was all too familiar with that expression; it was exactly the same as when he first found Lin Shishi during the day—it was like a person on the verge of death pleading for help.
"She's a survivor." Lin Shishi ran out of the tent and jogged over to squat down in front of the woman.
Then Lin Shishi was stunned.
"Sister Yifei?"
The woman trembled upon hearing the address and strained to see Lin Shishi's face clearly.
"Shishi?"
Lin Shishi's tears immediately fell.
She recognized the person; her name was Liu Yifei, a graduate student in biology. They had bumped into each other a few times in the staff restaurant on the cruise ship and eaten together.
Liu Yifei was a temporary biological consultant hired on board, specifically responsible for explaining the marine ecology along the way to VIP guests.
She wasn't a talkative person; she was the kind who would quietly sit in a corner and eat. But whenever Lin Shishi tried to chat with her, she would answer seriously.
"What are you doing here? When did you arrive?" Lin Shishi asked as she helped Liu Yifei up.
Liu Yifei was extremely weak and could only sit up with the help of Lin Shishi.
"I...I don't know...When I woke up I was in water...like mangroves...the ground was covered with tree roots...mosquitoes...so many mosquitoes..."
She spoke haltingly, taking a breath after every few words.
Qin Chuan walked over and squatted down beside him, scanning the data with his pupil technique for more detailed information.
[Liu Yifei, female, 24 years old. Height 168cm, weight 51kg. Three bites on her right ankle from a venomous insect, with a 12cm² area of redness and swelling. Mild neurotoxin spread; treatment is required within 6 hours, otherwise the toxin will invade the lymphatic system. Severe dehydration. Hunger level: extremely low. Body temperature: 35.8℃ (low). No fractures, no internal injuries.]