All night long, Liu Zhenhan did not even feel inclined to play with Guoguo, his face was long and sullen, constantly touching his nose involuntarily. Guoguo could see his suppressed anger and didn't dare to bother him. She quietly crawled into the wolf skin blanket, her small eyes wide open and constantly staring at Liu Zhenhan.
Liu Zhenhan's mind was a complete mess. He sat in front of the campfire unaware of how much time had passed before he finally drifted to sleep.
In the middle of the night, he was awakened by a severe stomach pain. Clutching his stomach and without making a sound for fear of waking up Guoguo and the little fox, he ran to a thicket of thorns not far away.
"Damn it!" The sudden drop in tension in his stomach made Liu Zhenhan feel much lighter.
Liu Zhenhan, his stomach now empty, had just a few minutes of relief before it started to act up again. He rushed back to the place where he had just relieved himself.
A strong, unbearable smell immediately filled the air and the sound of rustling could be heard. Liu Zhenhan had no idea whether it was the night partridges scurrying to move their nests.
He ran back and forth like this all night long.
Liu Zhenhan was nearly drained, but luckily, his habit of stashing resources meant he had plenty of coconuts which provided him with the vital vitamins and water he needed to barely keep from fainting.
"It's over... it's over..." Liu Zhenhan's head spun. At this point, not only could he not handle another wolf attack, even a plump rabbit could finish him off.
As darkness came over him, Liu Zhenhan fell into a deep sleep.
When he woke up again, he saw a small figure busy working by the fire. Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Liu Zhenhan recognized the figure as the little fox, roasting seabirds on the fire. On a wooden rack, she was also roasting a salted fish. The yellowish-green fat from the fish dropped into the fire with a "sizzling" sound, sparking the occasional flame.
Touching his chest, Liu Zhenhan found he was covered with the wolf skin blanket and was lying on the thatched bed where the little fox had slept.
How did a little girl, who was not yet recovered from her injuries, move him onto the bed? Liu Zhenhan was befuddled.
Looking at the small, robed figure busily making dinner by the fire, Liu Zhenhan's eyes welled up with tears.
So this is what it feels like to be taken care of! Liu Zhenhan was overwhelmed with feelings he couldn't quite describe.
Holding the wolf skin blanket in his hand, he gently wrapped it around the little fox. He felt her tense but gradually loosen up.
"You should rest." Liu Zhenhan turned her body towards him and said with a smile.
The little fox slowly lifted her sorrowful but beautiful face, revealing a small dimple. She was actually smiling!
Guoguo appeared at the entrance of the hut, dragging a large mouse behind her. Seeing Liu Zhenhan awake, she ran towards him excitedly. Her affectionate demeanor filled Liu Zhenhan's eyes with tears.
"Damn! I am not dead!" Liu Zhenhan said, wiping away his tears and pinching Guoguo's little face.
Guoguo's originally golden fur was covered in mud, and her face was a collage of blue and gray. A strand of grass was stuck on her large ears. Liu Zhenhan had no idea where she had burrowed to catch such a large mouse. Holding her in his arms, he cooed at her lovingly.
Guoguo responded with wet and muddy kisses all over his face.
The little fox watched Liu and Guoguo, a faint mist clouding her beautiful eyes.
"Both of you are my treasures! I won't let you suffer a bit in this life!" Liu Zhenhan howled towards the sky, thinking that they wouldn't understand anyway.
The little fox laughed at this, making Liu Zhenhan feel a bit embarrassed.
Persuading the little fox to go back to rest, Liu Zhenhan took over the grilling of the fish and seabirds. Several seabirds he caught yesterday were already eaten, he estimated he must've slept for a day. Seeing the remaining few frozen seabirds in the corner made him admire the little fox's cleverness.
To use all the resources around you for survival, this is the symbol of wisdom. Liu Zhenhan quietly complimented the little fox in his heart.
Liu Zhenhan felt a mix of consolation and disappointment.
He was consoled that the little fox could stand up even though she was still a bit unsteady. At least it showed that she only had some external injuries from the accident. She was lucky to have her injuries cushioned by the others during the shipwreck. Luck had saved her.
The disappointing part was now he would no longer get the chance to cherish her. Liu Zhenhan sighed, lamenting the fickleness of life.
Lost in his thoughts, he nearly burnt the salted fish.
At night, Liu Zhenhan stayed by the campfire and dozed off while the little fox offered him to sleep on the straw bed, even making room for him. However, seeing the little fox's pure eyes, Liu Zhenhan didn't have the heart to join her. He thought it best not to go there given his naughty thoughts. He might lose control and spoil his reputation.