Night, like thick, indistinguishable ink, spilled across the boundless wilderness.

The cold wind was like countless sharp ice knives, scraping across every inch of exposed skin, penetrating thin clothing, and piercing straight to the bone marrow.

In a cave that offered barely any shelter from the wind, six once glamorous women huddled together, relying on each other's meager body heat to ward off the freezing cold that was almost unbearable.

The cave was dimly lit, with only a few pale rays of moonlight shining obliquely through the entrance, illuminating their disheveled appearance.

Their once magnificent clothes, which represented their status and honor, are now dirty, tattered, and wrinkled, clinging to their bodies and becoming a burden rather than a source of warmth.

The internet celebrity "Tang Bao," who should have been a sweet and cute loli with exaggerated pigtails, was now burying her head in her knees, making suppressed, intermittent sobs.

These six women come from different fields and have different life trajectories, but at this moment, they are facing the same predicament.

Hunger, cold, and fear, like an invisible net, tightly bound them.

They found some wild fruit in the cave, but there was little of it, and it tasted sour and astringent, which was not enough to fill their stomachs.

They also tried to hunt, but these women, accustomed to city life, were no match for the wild beasts of the forest.

Let alone hunting, it's already lucky if you don't get eaten by wild animals.

They were too weak and had almost no skill. After several attempts, they not only failed but also nearly got injured.

Just then, Qian Xiaoxiao seemed to suddenly remember something, and rummaged in the side pocket of her expensive sports backpack, pulling out a monocular telescope.

She recently bought this telescope on a whim for birdwatching; it's exquisitely crafted and small, and she never expected it to travel through time with her.

In this moment of despair, this little thing became the only solace she could find in her past life.

“I…I have a telescope here.” Her voice was hoarse from the cold and weakness.

Upon hearing this, the other women all looked at her, their eyes filled with a faint hope.

This telescope might help them find some food, or a safer hiding place.

Qian Xiaoxiao raised the binoculars with trembling hands and looked out into the endless darkness of the cave.

The forest appeared eerie and terrifying in the night, the shadows of the trees looming like ghosts. She aimlessly turned the binoculars, hoping for a miracle.

Suddenly, her hand stopped, and her eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"You...you look!" Her voice was filled with disbelief and excitement. "It's that man! He seems to be doing very well!"

The other women perked up immediately upon hearing this. They all crowded around, vying to see the telescope.

Su Wanqing, taking advantage of her height, was the first to get the binoculars.

She imitated Qian Xiaoxiao, looking in the direction she pointed. Through the lenses, the distant scenery was brought closer and became clearer.

On the other side of the valley, on a relatively flat and open area, stood a small wooden house.

Wisps of smoke rose from the chimney of the wooden house, appearing especially warm against the cold night sky.

A dim, yellowish light shone faintly from the windows of the wooden house, like a star in the night, radiating an alluring glow.

To their even greater surprise, they saw a man bustling about in front of the cabin.

The man was working in front of a simple earthen kiln, the firelight illuminating his profile, making him appear focused and energetic.

He looked quite strong and his movements were very skillful.

Around the wooden house, there were piles of firewood and other things that they couldn't see clearly.

"Oh my god! It really is him!"

Tang Bao couldn't help but exclaim, her voice trembling with tears, "He...he has a house! And a fire!"

Shen Jiaqi also grabbed the binoculars and glanced inside, her eyes glistening with tears: "He seems... he seems to be burning something? Is it pottery?"

Ruan Mengtian was so excited that she was almost incoherent: "Wooden house...fireworks...this is heaven! We're saved! Let's go find him!"

Even Qin Lan, who is usually calm, showed a hint of longing in her eyes when she saw that scene.

The wisps of smoke rising from the chimneys, the warm glow of the lamplight—these were undeniably irresistible temptations for them, now in dire straits. They were symbols of civilization, safe havens, everything they had ever dreamed of.

However, Su Wanqing quickly poured cold water on their enthusiasm.

She put down her binoculars, sighed deeply, and said with a tone full of helplessness, "Don't think about it. That man... he hates us."

The excitement and agitation on the faces of the other women froze instantly.

"I really don't understand why he hates us."

Qian Xiaoxiao asked, puzzled. Her pride as a rich heiress made it impossible for her to accept this fact: "There are so many of us, all so beautiful, isn't that enough to make him fall in love?"

Her heart was filled with resentment. In her view, men who lived alone in the wilderness were mostly uncouth and vulgar.

In the past, beauties like them could have attracted countless men like flies simply by beckoning them with a flick of their fingers.

Now that they've come to them willingly, they're being hostile towards them? This is utterly absurd.

Ruan Mengtian also pouted and complained, "What a weirdo! What did we do to offend him? Does he not like beautiful women? Or does he have some kind of special fetish?"

She was used to using her beauty as a weapon, and it was always effective. But now she had stumbled in front of a seemingly ordinary man, which made her feel very frustrated.

Shen Jiaqi chimed in softly, "Yes, we meant no harm, we just wanted some help. Why is he so hostile?"

Qin Lan spoke up at this moment, her voice still retaining a degree of rationality: "Thinking about it carefully, this is actually a good thing. If he really is a beast, with his strong physique and familiarity with this mountain forest, we women who are powerless are no match for him at all."

Her gaze swept over the crowd, her expression grave. "He would have captured us long ago. Why would he leave us to fend for ourselves here? But in reality, he never intentionally harmed us. He just didn't want to have anything to do with us."

However, Qin Lan's rational analysis was not accepted by everyone.

A faint voice suddenly echoed in the cave, carrying an indescribable meaning: "I...I'd rather he take me away."

The speaker was Ruan Mengtian.

She bit her lip, a strange light flickering in her eyes. Driven by both hunger and cold, certain thoughts began to form in her mind.

"Mengtian, what nonsense are you talking about!" Qin Lan frowned.

Ruan Mengtian, as if she had nothing to lose, continued, "I'm telling the truth! Rather than starve and freeze to death here, I'd rather be taken away by him! At least... at least he has food, fire, and a warm house! As long as I'm by his side, I have a million ways to make him fall in love with me and make him devoted to me!"

A hint of confidence, typical of a news anchor, shone on her face, as if she could already envision herself successfully winning over that man.

"Yes! Mengtian is right!"

Qian Xiaoxiao immediately chimed in, "We're so pretty, how could we not charm a delivery guy? When the time comes, the cabin will be ours, the food will be ours, and I'll have him hunt for me every day, gather fruit for me, and serve me like a servant!"

Her eyes were also filled with longing for a comfortable life and a desire to conquer that man.

Although Tang Bao didn't speak, the wavering in her eyes showed that she was somewhat tempted by Ruan Mengtian and Qian Xiaoxiao's suggestion. As long as it could get her out of her current predicament, paying some price didn't seem unacceptable.

Hearing these increasingly outrageous remarks, Qin Lan felt both amused and somewhat saddened.

She shook her head and said helplessly, "You're oversimplifying things. If this man were so easily controlled by a woman, he wouldn't have chosen to live alone in this desolate wilderness."

Looking at these women who still clung to unrealistic fantasies, she sighed inwardly. "Alright, stop overthinking. Save your energy; we still need to find food and water tomorrow. Right now, we can only rely on ourselves."

Su Wanqing agreed with Qin Lan's view, adding, "That's right. Instead of pinning our hopes on a strange man who is hostile to us, we should think about how to survive on our own. At least we're still alive now, aren't we?"

With Qin Lan and Su Wanqing's persuasion, Ruan Mengtian and Qian Xiaoxiao, though still somewhat unwilling, gradually calmed down.

They knew Qin Lan and Su Wanqing were right. The man's attitude towards them was clear. They couldn't entrust their fate to unrealistic fantasies.

Silence fell once more in the cave. The women were lost in their own thoughts, and weariness and despair washed over them again like a tide.

Over this period of time, they have barely adapted to this miserable life of wilderness survival, but adaptation does not mean resignation. A burning desire to survive and a hope to return to civilization still reside within them.

"Alright, everyone, let's rest." Qin Lan said softly. "Conserving our energy is the most important thing. Tomorrow, let's go downstream in the valley and see if we can find anything to eat, or maybe a stream."

The women nodded and silently closed their eyes. The cold persisted, the hunger persisted, but they knew that no matter how difficult it was, they had to persevere.