“Lin Xiao, what do you mean by this? Are you trying to tell me that the fruit on this tree is edible?”
Lin Xiao nodded at her question. It seemed Ling Xi wasn’t entirely foolish. “Yes. The fruit on this tree is safe to eat. Go ahead and pick some.”
Hearing his response, Ling Xi thought he was being incredibly cold. 'I’m a girl,' she thought. 'Shouldn’t he be the one picking the fruit for me?'
“You want me to go pick it?” she asked incredulously.
Lin Xiao nodded with perfect calm, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“If not you, then who? Me?” he replied, completely unbothered and seemingly unaware of the implications behind his words.
His nonchalant attitude was enough to send Ling Xi fuming. She couldn’t believe Lin Xiao was being so... unmanly.
“Shouldn’t this kind of thing be your job? I’m a girl, for heaven’s sake! Shouldn’t the guy do it?”
Lin Xiao looked at her seriously. He was the one who had found the fruit—naturally, Ling Xi should do her part. Otherwise, why had she come with him in the first place?
“You came out here with me to find food. I discovered this fruit tree. It’s only fair if you contribute something. You should be the one climbing up to pick them.”
Ling Xi stared at him in disbelief. She felt utterly defeated by his logic. Clearly, in Lin Xiao’s eyes, there was no such thing as gender roles—only equality.
“Lin Xiao, I’m honestly amazed by you. You’re something else.”
“Fine. This lady won’t stoop to your level. I’ll pick them myself.”
Fortunately, Ling Xi was a big-hearted girl, and having grown up in the forest, she loved climbing trees.
Soon, she had picked a large number of fruits, tossing them down one by one to Lin Xiao. He struggled to keep up. When he couldn’t hold any more, he frowned.
“That’s enough. Don’t pick any more.”
Hearing his words, Ling Xi gave a soft pout but obediently climbed back down. Once she was on the ground, Lin Xiao handed her a portion of the fruits he'd caught. Then, the two of them made their way back to camp.
When they returned, they found that Liu Hai hadn’t just brought back water—he had even caught a couple of fish.
Ling Xi immediately bounded over to his side, amazed.
“Liu Hai, you’re incredible! You went out just to find water and came back with two fish? That’s amazing!”
“You really are impressive. Unlike me—Lin Xiao and I only managed to get some fruit. And honestly, that was thanks to him.”
Hearing Ling Xi’s words, Liu Hai could tell she was feeling a little down. There was no need for that. Liu Hai simply had more experience with water, while Ling Xi understood the forest better.
“It’s okay. We have food now, so no need to compare. You must be hungry, right? Come sit down and eat. This fish is fresh off the fire.”
Ling Xi smiled warmly and nodded. Her worries were gone in a flash. That was just how she was—never holding on to anything for long. Once something was said aloud, she let it go.
And so, in this way, the team spent their first night camping at the foot of the mountain. Zhang Nu and the others had no idea that this sort of lifestyle would soon become a common occurrence. Over time, they would gain more and more experience in how to deal with the unexpected dangers of life in the wilderness.
……
Later that night, deep in their sleep, a wolf’s howl rang out suddenly, jolting Zhang Nu awake.
He opened his eyes to find the area around them surrounded by wolves. One by one, the others woke up, each growing alarmed at the sight.
Ling Xi, being a girl—and a fox—had no ability to defend herself against wolves. She had no choice but to huddle in the center while the four men stood protectively around her.
But strangely, the wolves didn’t attack. Instead, they turned their attention toward Zhang Nu, howling in his direction.
“Awoo~ Awoo~”
Zhang Nu had a strange feeling—they were trying to communicate with each other. But he had no idea what they meant.
“Are you trying to tell me something?” he asked aloud. “I don’t understand your language, though… what are you trying to say?”
Then, he glanced over at Ling Xi. She’s a beast too, a Fox Guai… maybe, she can talk to them?
Noticing his gaze, Ling Xi quickly raised her hand in defense. “Don’t look at me. I have no idea what they’re saying! Just because I’m a beast, it doesn’t mean I can speak wolf!”