Peng Peng crouched down, sticking his butt out as he dug a hole just as Steve had instructed. The sand on the beach was soft, making it easy to dig. In no time, he had a small hole finished.
"Steve, it's done! What's next?"
"Good, now dig a few more, but spread them out a bit farther," Steve instructed.
"Got it!"
Steve watched as Peng Peng busied himself digging, nodding in approval. The kid might not be the brightest, but at least he was obedient.
With Peng Peng occupied, Steve turned to check on Bai Xiaolu. It was getting dark, and letting a girl wander around alone wasn't a great idea.
As soon as she saw him approaching, Bai Xiaolu lifted a float she had found and grinned. "Steve, I can handle this on my own! Look, I already found one!"
The float she held resembled an oversized soda bottle. These types of floats were valuable; they could be used to store water and food. There was also a large black hollow ball nearby, another useful find.
Steve gave her a thumbs-up. "Nice work! But I'll come with you. It's getting dark, and it's not safe for you to be out here alone."
Bai Xiaolu looked around, realizing for the first time that night was creeping in. She hadn't noticed before, but now that she did, a small shiver ran down her spine.
Still, she refused to show any fear. Puffing out her chest, she said proudly, "Fine, we'll go together." But as they walked, she unconsciously moved a little closer to Steve.
Steve smirked. "Thank you, Princess Lulu, for allowing me to protect you. It's truly an honor."
"Hehehe," Bai Xiaolu giggled, finding Steve's teasing tone amusing.
As they combed the beach for useful debris, Jarvis—who had just finished washing dishes—glanced up from the pot in his hands and saw Steve and Bai Xiaolu chatting and laughing. He wrinkled his nose and let out a soft huff.
Not far away, Bai Xiaolu excitedly held up a foam board. "Steve, is this useful?"
Steve nodded. "Yep, super useful. We can put some on our beds to make them softer and warmer."
"Really? I hate the cold! I'll grab more of them!"
"Go for it."
The beach was littered with debris, so much that it made Steve question humanity's ability to keep the planet clean. People had even found entire containers washed ashore.
Steve picked up buoys, tangled ropes, broken fishing nets, cracked bamboo poles—stuff that seemed like junk but could be lifesaving on the island.
When his arms were full, he called out to Bai Xiaolu. "Lulu, let's head back."
She rushed over, carrying a pile of junk in her arms. "Look, I found something amazing!"
Steve turned, expecting something useful—only to see her holding a broken electric fan.
He stifled a laugh. "Wow, great find. Now our island home has a new appliance."
Bai Xiaolu froze for a second, processing his words. The phrase our island home made her feel a little weird, but she quickly brushed it off.
Rolling her eyes, she scoffed, "You're messing with me. I'm not dumb. I know there's no electricity here. Even if there were, this fan wouldn't work—it's completely busted."
Steve grinned. "You never know. What if we get power later and I manage to fix it?"
"I don't believe you," Bai Xiaolu said bluntly.
Steve raised an eyebrow. "Wanna bet?"
Bai Xiaolu smirked. "What's the wager?"
"If I win, you have to do something for me. If you win, I'll do something for you. Deal?"
Meanwhile, in Bai Xiaolu's live stream chat, her fans were losing their minds.
"No, Lulu! Don't do it! There's a trap!"
"Look at that guy's smug grin—he's totally up to something!"
"Smash him with that broken fan! That'll teach him!"
"He's trying to get close to our Lulu. Shameless!"
"We should all go to the show's official website and demand they separate them!"
"Wait… I think Steve is kinda handsome, though."
That last comment was quickly drowned out by an avalanche of protests.
Oblivious to the online chaos, Bai Xiaolu confidently declared, "Alright, deal!"
Steve blinked. "You're really not afraid I'll make you do something ridiculous?"
Bai Xiaolu laughed. "I'm not afraid because you won't win!"
Steve chuckled. "Alright, don't regret it later."
He was already thinking of something fun for her to do if he won. Maybe washing his feet? Just the thought of a famous young actress washing his feet was hilarious.
By the time they returned to camp, Steve handed Bai Xiaolu the extra supplies and grabbed the buoys to check on Peng Peng.
Peng Peng had finished digging the pits—ten in total, one for each person.
Steve got to work cutting the float into bucket shapes, ensuring they could hold water once the crabs were caught. He then placed each float bucket inside a hole, making sure the rim was level with the ground so that crabs could easily fall in.
Once a crab fell in, the smooth walls would prevent it from climbing back out.
Peng Peng watched, fascinated. "Steve, that's it? That's all we need to catch crabs?"
"Not quite," Steve replied. "We still need bait."
"What kind of bait?"
"The leftover conch shells, dead fish on the beach, fish scales, and guts from the fish I cleaned earlier."
"I'll get them!" Peng Peng ran off enthusiastically.
With their combined efforts, they finished setting up all the traps. Now, it was just a matter of waiting until morning to see the results.
Bai Xiaolu, however, was skeptical. "That's it? You really think this will work?"
Steve grinned. "Want to bet on it?"
Bai Xiaolu quickly shook her head. "No way. What if a crab is dumb enough to fall in? I don't take bets I'm not sure of."
Steve laughed. "Smart move."
Bai Xiaolu lifted her chin proudly. "That's why they call me Clever Little Lulu!"
"Alright, Clever Little Lulu, let's head back."
"Wait for me!" she called out, scurrying after him.
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