Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The next morning, Song Jiu was awakened by the noisy voices outside. At first, he thought he was dreaming and tried to drift back to sleep, but the noise only grew louder, chaotic and approaching, leaving him puzzled about what had happened.
He opened his eyes to find Barbie Doll face to face with him, her sparkling eyes fixed on him.
Startled, Song Jiu felt his drowsiness vanish instantly. With a helpless sigh, he threw on some clothes and walked over to the window.
They say that after the storm comes clear skies, but it seemed different at sea. The wind had howled and the rain had poured all night long, only easing in the early morning hours. Now, just before eight o'clock, the sky remained overcast, and a chill mist hung in the air, invigorating when inhaled.
It had been a while since he had distanced himself from the Zombie situation. Watching the crowd making their way toward the Coast from the path below still felt somewhat unfamiliar.
"Sleep a little longer; I'll go take a look," Song Jiu gestured to Barbie Doll. They had always communicated like deaf-mutes, relying heavily on guessing.
Usually, Barbie Doll was very obedient. If Song Jiu told her to stay put, she would honestly remain in bed, understanding that she was a language-impaired patient. However, today something seemed off; she insisted on sticking with him, quickly putting on her dress and limping along beside him, looking up at him with hopeful eyes.
"Alright then, some fresh air won't hurt," Song Jiu consoled himself. Her leg wasn't severely injured; for now, she could manage with a bit of hopping. He went into the woods to break off a branch for her to use as a cane, allowing her to link her arm through his as they slowly made their way toward the noisy crowd.
The sky was still dark when lights flickered on in the cabin. He wasn't the only one awakened; in the distance, he saw Luo Yu and others bundling up and stepping outside, curiously gazing toward the Coast. Song Jiu didn't rush to investigate; instead, he gathered with his companions and found Chef Jia no longer needed to rise early for meal preparations. He had hoped for a lazy morning but was instead disturbed by the inexplicable commotion.
After exchanging greetings, they all squeezed into Wu Wentao's room. He was the most alert among them but also sleeping the soundest.
As Song Jiu and his group murmured their way inside, Wu Wentao stirred awake with a strange expression on his face and hoarsely asked, "What’s going on?"
The group fell silent for a moment; was visiting him not allowed?
"With all that noise outside, how can you still sleep?" Song Jiu smirked slightly and unceremoniously sat at the edge of Wu Wentao's bed. "Aren't you going to check it out?"
"Nope." Wu Wentao shot him a glare before turning over and covering his head with the blanket to continue sleeping.
Song Yao and the others exchanged glances. Earlier on their way here, Wu Wentao had spent most of his time on night watch; even when resting, it was only light sleep. This was their first time seeing him like this.
"Well then, you sleep; we'll do as we please. You don’t need to worry about us," Song Jiu said as he patted Wu Wentao through the blanket. The latter grunted in annoyance but continued to feign sleep.
Without waiting for a few people to speak, the lights in the room suddenly turned on.
The Pockmarked Girl walked in from the doorway, muttering, "What are you all doing? Why isn't the light on? It's pitch black in here."
Wu Wentao, who was lying on the bed, could no longer hold back. With a long sigh, he leaped up.
Song Jiu, sitting by the bed, was startled. Goodness, the Ladies were all present; his way of getting up was rather unconventional.
Wu Wentao had never cared about what others thought of him. His sturdy physique was exposed to the air, with a wild and thick mane of chest hair. His body hair was abundant; if he grew a full beard, he would definitely be mistaken for a wild man if he ran naked around Shennongjia.
"Get out of the way." Wu Wentao was in quite a foul mood as he kicked Song Jiu, picked up his clothes from under him, put them on, shook his head, and walked out with a basin.
The small wooden house fell silent. After a long while, the Pockmarked Girl, standing foolishly at the door, let out a shrill scream filled with excitement, her eyes almost sparkling with stars: "So hot!"
A few minutes later, the group that had finished washing up headed towards the Coast. The banquet area by the shore had already gathered quite a few people. From afar, it looked like they were all watching something on the Sea Surface. A few Kayaks wobbled as they paddled out; voices buzzed with chatter and discussions.
Song Jiu and his group squeezed through the crowd and spotted Fang Fei with an unusual expression.
Although it had already been announced that she would step down from her position, she had not yet left the island. People still tended to greet Fang Fei whenever there was any commotion.
"What’s going on?" Song Jiu pushed into the crowd and glanced at the yacht. Everything seemed normal; seaweed and debris washed ashore were scattered across the deck without any damage.
Fang Fei was lost in thought when he was suddenly tapped on the shoulder and jolted slightly.
"Huh? Why are you all up?" Fang Fei was taken aback as her gaze fell upon the crowd that had transformed into Onlookers.
"Even if I wanted to sleep, I couldn't," Song Jiu complained with a pout, squinting towards the Kayaks on the Sea Surface and wondering aloud, "What's going on? Why is it so lively this early?"
Fang Fei led them away from the crowd to a relatively quiet spot and brushed her long hair aside. "The morning fishing team went out to catch fish; they said they discovered a sunken ship."
"A sunken ship?" The group’s expressions changed simultaneously as they all thought of that Engineering Ship.
"It's a fishing boat," Fang Fei explained without beating around the bush. "The details are unclear; the fishing team didn't get close and reported back early."
"Is it an abandoned vessel that was brought here by the wind and waves?" Song Yao asked.
"I don't know. There are many hidden reefs in that area. It seems to have run aground, with the hull stuck between the rocks. It hasn't completely sunk yet," Fang Fei shared what little information he had. Noticing the varied expressions on everyone's faces, he added, "Do you want to go take a look?"
Song Jiu glanced at Wu Wentao, who was staring blankly at the sea surface in the distance.
"Let's wait for a bit. If it's just a derelict ship that drifted here with the current, it won't be of much use," Song Jiu thought they probably weren't that lucky. They had barely escaped the storm yesterday, and now it seemed too good to be true that the heavens would send them fuel today.
"Yeah, the fishing team has gone over. I'll let you know if there's any news," Fang Fei agreed with this line of thinking. The Islanders had been cooped up for too long; anything new on the sea surface could spark their interest. Since Song Jiu and the others weren't keen on participating, they decided to stroll along the coast before heading home.
Pockmarked Girl and Luci lagged behind, whispering to each other, with Luci occasionally laughing, drawing curious glances from those ahead.
"What are you two so happy about?" Song Jiu turned back at the sound, and the two girls immediately straightened up, though they couldn't hide their smiles.
"Women talking about something secretive is none of your business," Pockmarked Girl shot him a glance before linking arms with Luci and hurrying to catch up with Song Yao.
Dai Wei and Luo Yu moved ahead, likely planning to take a nap. This kind of weather wasn't suitable for wandering outside; curling up in bed with the curtains drawn would make it feel dark again, ensuring a sweet sleep.
Cao Zheng and Yang Xiaomeng returned to their small cabin to grab a bottle of white liquor. They greeted Song Jiu before heading straight through the Saddle Vine path toward the cemetery behind the forest. If all went as planned, they would be leaving in a day or two, making this their final farewell.
Song Jiu stood still for a moment until their figures disappeared into the trees. He then noticed Natalia blinking her eyes, clearly interested in everything around her. After spending most of her time indoors since arriving on the island, it was rare for her to be out and about, and she seemed to be in good spirits. Seeing she wasn't sleepy, Song Jiu decided against returning to the Stilt House and instead guided her into the small cabin where Song Yao and others were gathered, quietly discussing women's topics.
Upon seeing Song Jiu enter, they paused their conversation and smiled at him, leaving him unsure of what it meant.
Suddenly feeling awkward, Song Jiu experienced an inexplicable sense of loneliness alongside his embarrassment.
He had initially planned to go back to sleep but was called over by Chef Jia, who helped Natalia into a chair and poured them both a cup of hot water.
"Another women's topic," Song Jiu said with a self-deprecating smile as he muttered under his breath.
"Just a casual chat," Chef Jia said with a smile, while Song Yao's eyes also sparkled with amusement as she occasionally glanced at the Pockmarked Girl, curious about what was so entertaining.
Noticing Song Jiu sitting there awkwardly, her older sister felt a pang of sympathy and said, "It's nothing much, just brainstorming for Guli."
"Huh?" Song Jiu was taken aback.
"Guli suddenly has a crush on Old Wu," Luci couldn't hold back her laughter, clutching her stomach as she giggled. Huihui joined in with a light chuckle, creating a relaxed atmosphere.
Song Jiu was momentarily stunned but quickly caught on, exclaiming in surprise, "Is that true?"
"You guys wouldn't understand. Old Wu is pure manly charm; I was completely captivated by his wild spirit," the Pockmarked Girl declared boldly, her cheeks flushed as she maintained her bravado.
Song Jiu couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all. She recalled the events in the cave; if anyone could be called wild, Wu Wentao would take second place—no one dared to claim the first. Ziqian and Doudou had merely found each other in a unique situation, while Old Wu had conquered the Tattooed Woman with his formidable personal strength. She remembered how reluctant he had been to leave back then, still clinging to the woman he had been with.
These thoughts inevitably stirred up some painful memories. Song Jiu suddenly realized that her sisters were far more resilient when it came to grief than she was. While she kept her struggles to herself, they seemed to face sorrow head-on without hiding it, and when joy came, they didn’t burden themselves with unnecessary worries.
In the midst of her reverie, the Ladies had already switched topics several times. The Pockmarked Girl began to vent her frustrations again.
"You have no idea! Ever since I met Song Jiu, I realized that even during a disaster, one can still find time for romance," the Pockmarked Girl rambled on without restraint. "Back at the Roundabout, I was really suffering. I lived next door to him, and he and Dream Fan were partying every night while I was stuck listening to their live broadcasts. Old Wu hadn't arrived yet; otherwise, who knows what might have happened!"
Song Yao and the others burst into laughter at this revelation. Despite their amusement, their expressions remained somewhat awkward as they glanced at Song Jiu. Seeing him unfazed eased their worries.
"Even now! Just ask Sister Jia; usually Luo Yu seems so cold and aloof, but once she got a man, she completely unleashed her true nature," the Pockmarked Girl continued excitedly, spilling everything that came to mind.
"Guli," Chef Jia shot her a reproachful glare.
Realizing she had overstepped, the Pockmarked Girl stuck out her tongue and cleared her throat awkwardly. "Oh come on, we're all adults here; what's the big deal?"
Song Jiu could no longer tolerate it. Being an adult was one thing; having her older sister right there made it worse. The Pockmarked Girl had a big mouth—who knew what nonsense she might say next? So he quickly stood up to excuse himself and asked before leaving, "Guli, do you want me to say something to Old Wu?"
"No need," the Pockmarked Girl waved her hands dismissively. A hint of youthful shyness crept onto her face. Before anyone could tease her further, she blurted out something that completely revealed her true nature: "Though men are great, my hands are even more skilled."
Two hours later, Fang Fei appeared as promised, her face flushed and unable to hide her excitement.
Song Jiu couldn't help but feel a bit astonished. Could it really be that lucky? Did they truly get what they needed just when they needed it?
"There's someone on the ship, still alive," Fang Fei gasped, taking a sip from her cup. "And there's fuel too."
The group exchanged silent glances, all momentarily stunned by the sudden good news.
Fang Fei took a breath, her gaze sweeping over everyone as she spoke slowly, "However, that's not the main point."
"Right."
"The Establishment has taken the initiative to reach out."
Comment 0 Comment Count