Meanwhile, not far downstream on the riverbank.

The six women finally managed to start a fire before nightfall.

Unlike Lin Feng, they were not experienced and struggled to even start a fire. Su Wanqing's already tattered evening dress was burned with several holes, and Tang Bao and Ruan Mengtian were choked by the thick smoke, their eyes and noses running.

But when they skewered seven or eight fish on simple wooden sticks and roasted them over a fire, sizzling and emitting an enticing aroma, all their hard work vanished.

"It smells so good!" Tang Bao was the first to resist. Regardless of how hot it was, she grabbed a half-cooked fish and stuffed it into her mouth. It was so hot that she hissed and gasped for breath, but she couldn't bear to spit it out.

"Eat slowly, don't choke." Although Qin Lan was also starving, she still maintained some composure and reminded everyone.

She tore off a small piece from the relatively well-done fish she was assigned, carefully blew on it, and then put it in her mouth.

The deliciousness of the fish instantly filled her mouth.

Even with just salt, the natural sweetness and delicate texture almost brought tears to her eyes.

This was the first decent hot meal they had eaten since arriving in this godforsaken place.

Su Wanqing didn't care about her celebrity demeanor anymore; she quickly ate the grilled fish in small bites, trying to replenish her energy.

Shen Jiaqi and Ruan Mengtian ate with gusto, their mouths greasy and their faces showing a long-lost sense of satisfaction.

"Mmm...it's so delicious!"

After finishing one fish, Tangbao looked longingly at the remaining fish on the fire and said indistinctly, "I wish I could eat such delicious grilled fish every day."

“Yes, this fish is really fresh.” Ruan Mengtian licked her lips, a strange light flashing in her eyes. “It’s even fresher and sweeter than the top-quality sashimi I used to eat at those high-end Japanese restaurants.”

After eating grilled fish, the women felt they had regained some strength and their spirits had improved considerably.

They sat around the campfire, the firelight illuminating their diverse faces.

"That man... he looked so burly." Tang Bao patted her round belly and suddenly spoke, her tone tinged with lingering fear and curiosity. She was referring to Lin Feng.

Upon hearing this, Su Wanqing nodded, a complex look in her eyes: "Yes, he can easily drag such a large net of fish by himself, he must be very strong. Moreover, he can easily kill wolves. The six of us combined probably wouldn't be a match for him."

She recalled Lin Feng's cold and sharp gaze, and a chill ran down her spine.

Is this what men are like?

Shen Jiaqi stared blankly at the flickering flames and said softly, "In civilized society, they don't seem that important except for causing trouble. But in a place like this... a strong man is simply... a mountain."

"you do not say!"

Ruan Mengtian echoed, "I always thought those stinky men were nothing special, all greasy and confident. But when you're in this kind of situation where you can't call for help, you realize how important it is to have a man who can hunt and protect you."

As she spoke, her eyes darted around, and it was unclear what she was thinking.

"Hmph, as if we can't live without men."

Qian Xiaoxiao pouted unconvinced: "He's just lucky, he knows a little more than us. If I had those tools, I'd definitely be no worse than him!"

Even so, the image of Lin Feng's strong figure and his effortless fishing couldn't help but surface in her mind, making her feel noticeably less confident.

"Sigh..." Tang Bao sighed, her face showing a sorrow that didn't match her loli appearance: "If only there were a man who could catch fish for me, hunt for me, protect me, and be my slave every day, that would be so wonderful."

Her words, though tinged with naive fantasy, also revealed the deepest desires of some people.

“That’s right,” Ruan Mengtian immediately chimed in, her voice tinged with a hint of coquettishness. “If we could win him over and have him serve us sisters every day, our lives in this godforsaken place would be much easier.”

She licked her red lips, her eyes gleaming with calculation, already sketching out some unrealistic plans in her mind.

Qin Lan listened to their conversation, her brows furrowing slightly. She was far more realistic and insightful than these young girls.

A man like Lin Feng is not so easily controlled.

To think that one could rely on him or even enslave him is simply a pipe dream.

"Stop daydreaming." Qin Lan coldly interrupted their reverie. "That man is not someone you can easily mess with. You were lucky to get food and tools today. From now on, we should try to stay away from him and keep to ourselves. If we want to survive, we ultimately have to rely on ourselves."

Her words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing the unrealistic flames in some people's hearts.

But whether new, more secretive thoughts will arise beneath the embers after the flames have died down remains to be seen.

As night deepened, the firelight along the river gradually dimmed. Each woman, lost in her own thoughts, huddled together for warmth in the growing chill of the air and drifted off to sleep.

Their tomorrow remains full of unknowns and challenges.

Inside Lin Feng's cabin, the oil lamp had long since gone out. He lay on his bed, which was made of animal hides and hay, breathing evenly.

Not far from his bed, in the bamboo cage containing the "phantom," a few soft rustling sounds could occasionally be heard.

The night in the wilderness is long and silent.

In order to tame this blue-purple little beast named "Phantom"

Lin Feng showed great patience, repeating the same actions day after day: feeding it fresh "wild chili" and water on time, talking to it softly, and never trying to force it to do anything.

Gradually, the fear and hostility in the Phantom's eyes faded away, like ice and snow melting in the warm spring sun.

At first, it would only dare to eat secretly after Lin Feng turned away. Later, it dared to nibble at the food under Lin Feng's watchful eye.

Later, when Lin Feng handed "Wild Spicy" to the cage, it would still hesitate, but a barely perceptible hesitation and longing for food would flash in its crimson eyes.

Lin Feng noticed that Phantom's hearing was extremely sharp.

It would prick up its long ears and alertly distinguish even the slightest change in the tone of his voice.

Therefore, his tone of voice was always so calm and gentle, as if he were coaxing an ignorant child.

He would tell it some interesting stories about Earth, about the various people he met when he was delivering food, and about the skyscrapers and bustling traffic.

The Phantom naturally couldn't understand these complex words, but it could sense the faint nostalgia and peace in Lin Feng's tone.

Sometimes, Lin Feng would process animal hides or polish stone tools next to the cage.

The phantom would quietly curl up in a corner of the cage, its crimson eyes fixed on his busy hands, occasionally tilting its head as if pondering what this two-legged creature was doing.

When Lin Feng is not around, Wangcai will lie down next to the cage and gently sniff the ghost through the bamboo strips.

Phantom was initially very wary of Wangcai, but the pure, wild aura that belonged to its kind and the aggression it had never shown before made Phantom gradually lower its guard.

Sometimes, Lin Feng would even see Wangcai and Meiying communicating through their cages with a low, whimpering sound that he couldn't understand.

Change happens gradually and imperceptibly.

A few days later, one morning, Lin Feng brought a small piece of fresh "wild spice" to the cage as usual.

As usual, he slowly handed over the "wild spice".

This time, the phantom didn't retreat as usual. Instead, it stared at Lin Feng for a few seconds before slowly and tentatively extending its small paw with pink pads and gently touching Lin Feng's fingers.

The touch was gentle and warm, and at that moment, Lin Feng's heart felt as if it had been gently touched by something.

Immediately afterwards, the phantom opened its small mouth and carefully took the "wild spice" from Lin Feng's hand.

It didn't retreat immediately, but instead ate in small bites not far from Lin Feng's fingers, its crimson eyes occasionally glancing at Lin Feng with an indescribable...trust?

Lin Feng could hardly believe his eyes. He remained motionless in his original position, afraid of disturbing the little guy.

He could clearly hear his heart pounding.

From that day on, Phantom's attitude towards Lin Feng underwent a qualitative leap.

It no longer resists Lin Feng's approach, and sometimes even rubs its little head against his arm curiously when Lin Feng is cleaning the cage. Although the force is very light, the intimacy is self-evident.

Lin Feng also tried gently stroking its fur, which was as smooth as blue-purple silk. The touch was delicate and soft, making it irresistible.

The Phantom was a little stiff at first, but it quickly relaxed, making a satisfied, soft "purring" sound in its throat, like a kitten that had been petted comfortably.

Lin Feng felt that the time was ripe.

"Little one, would you like to come out for a walk?"

That day, after feeding Phantom, Lin Feng tried to open the small door of the bamboo cage and asked softly, "I know you yearn for freedom. I will not lock you up again."

The phantom tilted its head, its crimson eyes staring at the open cage door, then at Lin Feng, its gaze filled with confusion.

It lingered at the cage door for a long time, tentatively extending its front paws several times before retracting them.

Lin Feng didn't urge him, but waited patiently.

He knew that for a wild beast accustomed to freedom, it would take immense courage to leave this safe but restrictive cage.

Finally, just when Lin Feng was about to give up, Phantom took a deep breath and suddenly leaped out of the cage!

It didn't run away immediately, but instead excitedly ran and jumped back and forth in the open space in front of the wooden house.

Its agile figure and lightning-fast speed once again showcase its ultimate beauty as a forest spirit.

Sometimes it leaps high into the air, drawing an elegant blue-purple arc, and sometimes it stops suddenly, looks back at Lin Feng, and its crimson eyes sparkle with joy.

Wangcai excitedly circled around the phantom, but it knew its limits and only "guarded" it from the side without chasing or biting it.

Lin Feng watched this scene with a relieved smile. He was happy that Phantom had regained her freedom, and secretly hoped that the little guy wouldn't disappear forever.

However, things took a turn for the worse than he had expected.

After frolicking around in the open space for a while, the Phantom seemed to get tired of playing.

Then it suddenly changed direction and sped off into the mountains at an astonishing speed!

"Huh?" Lin Feng was stunned.

It was so fast that he didn't have time to react at all.

Wangcai was also stunned. It let out a "woof" and tried to chase after it, but the phantom's figure had already disappeared around the corner of the path, leaving not a single hair behind.

"Holy shit!"

Lin Feng slapped his thigh in anger and couldn't help but curse, "That little bastard! I've been feeding and taking good care of you for so many days, and you just run away like that? Without even saying goodbye! You ungrateful ingrate!"

He stomped his feet in anger, pointing in the direction the phantom had disappeared and cursing, "Run! Let's see where you can run to! Don't even think about swindling a single 'wild snack' from me again! I'll let you starve to death, you little brat!"

Wangcai whimpered beside him, seemingly trying to comfort Lin Feng, or perhaps blaming himself for failing to stop Meiying.

After cursing for a while, Lin Feng gradually calmed down.

He knew that the Phantom was a wild, mythical beast, and that yearning for freedom was its nature.

Although I've given so much, I can't force things. But the sense of loss and the frustration of being "betrayed" just won't go away.

"Damn it, they're like ungrateful wolves!" he muttered angrily, turned around and walked back to the cabin, slamming the door shut.