Going into the mountains

Zhou Lexing worked all night, and although Zhou Shusheng was a bit confused about some things, he did the tasks assigned to him very well. The two of them finished the 'artificial thorns' on the four walls before they were so tired that they fell asleep immediately.

Before dawn the next day, Zhou Lexing got up, slung his basket over his shoulder, and took his tools out.

Today is the day to go into the mountains. Those rascals will surely break in. Let them stay here for a few more days, get some sun, and learn a lesson before we can recruit them.

The few streetlights in the village had long since been turned off. Relying on his memory, Zhou Lexing followed the wall to Gu Jiansheng's door, knocked, and a cold, wary voice quickly answered from inside: "Who is it?"

"I am Zhou Lexing."

The door opened shortly afterward, and Gu Jiansheng's things were already prepared. In addition to the familiar bamboo basket, there was a small cloth bag inside, a bamboo tube for holding water hanging on the wall, and a machete on his waist.

Zhou Lexing was somewhat surprised: "Have you been waiting for a long time?"

Gu Jiansheng looked at Zhou Lexing's face, which was faintly visible in the darkness, and slowly shook his head: "No."

Actually, he shouldn't have gone into the mountains on this trip.

Given the timeline, He Huaizhi could appear at any moment. Fate would not let him off easily. He should stay in Zhoujia Village and prepare himself, or go directly to the city and strike first, returning all the torment He Huaizhi had inflicted on him, instead of wasting time on such meaningless trifles.

But Gu Jiansheng still stepped out and followed behind Gu Zhoulexing, leaving the long-closed door behind him.

Those who had agreed to go up the mountain today were already waiting at the foot of the mountain. When the time came, those who did not come were automatically considered to have given up. The group was led by an experienced old hunter from the village, and the group was like an irregular river, with some people of different lengths falling behind.

As the sun gradually pierced through the thick clouds, the temperature slowly rose. Although the forest was shaded by trees, there was little wind, making it feel even more stuffy and uncomfortable.

Zhou Lexing frequently slowed his pace, eventually walking directly to Gu Jiansheng's side, slightly behind him, so that he could easily help him without worrying about him falling behind.

The old hunter walked in front, stopping from time to time to observe his surroundings. When the sun was high in the sky, he suddenly stopped.

"There's a rabbit hole here." As soon as he said this, the others didn't need any further instructions. They scattered and searched for some dry grass. They then followed the rabbit hole to other connected burrows, lit the dry grass, and stuffed it at the entrances of the burrows. They fanned the air to let the thick smoke in, leaving only one burrow untouched by the smoke. The rest of them stood guard there, waiting for the rabbit to be unable to stand the smoke and escape from the burrow so they could catch it.

Zhou Lexing moved swiftly, carrying one in each hand to Gu Jiansheng.

Gu Jiansheng had just gotten up from the ground, and the hot sweat on his forehead slid down his cheeks. He subconsciously reached out to wipe it, but he didn't realize that his hands were already dirty from smoking the cave. The wiping left a mark that was particularly noticeable on his tender face.

Zhou Lexing was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter without any restraint.

The others were drawn by his laughter and, seeing Gu Jiansheng's appearance, also laughed and teased him.

"Oh dear, it's all covered in graffiti now."

"This child, your hands are so dirty, how could you put them on your face! Here, wipe them clean."

"Hahaha, she's really pretty. She looks good even with black makeup, she'd probably be even prettier with white makeup. She could easily be a young lady with a couple of flowers in her hair!"

Everyone laughed again.

Gu Jiansheng couldn't control the heat on his face. Under the teasing of the crowd, he felt his face burning. However, he didn't feel any malice in their teasing. His instinctive vigilance was like that of someone who hadn't woken up yet, and it didn't bring out the coldness hidden deep in his heart.

"Use this to wipe it; it's genuine leather."

When Zhou Lexing, carrying a rabbit, smiled and offered to wipe his face with it, the wariness he should have felt turned into embarrassment and anger, causing him to kick Zhou Lexing's leg.

The kick wasn't very powerful, but Gu Jiansheng was startled and subconsciously looked up to see Zhou Lexing's expression.

Zhou Lexing still had a smiling expression, her eyes looking at him, clean and pure, reflecting only his image.

Gu Jiansheng felt his heart race until the rabbit's soft fur gently brushed against his face, at which point he finally looked away.

"Here, tie it up with a rope and put it in your basket first," Zhou Lexing said, stuffing one into Gu Jiansheng's hand.

The rabbit struggled, and I could feel its life pulse emanating from my hand, one beat after another.

Zhou Lexing gave up the other one.

When eleven people go into the mountains together, the harvest will vary. But since it's a collective effort, the distribution will naturally be based on the amount of effort contributed, although it's impossible to divide everything in such detail.

Logically, the person who catches the rabbit should get the lion's share, but Zhou Lexing wasn't greedy. He put the rabbit into Gu Jiansheng's basket, and the others assumed that he and Gu Jiansheng were a couple. Two people who contributed should share the same amount, which was quite honest.

They encountered rabbit holes several more times, one of which led to an empty entrance, but they still reaped a considerable harvest. In addition, one of the team members, who was skilled with a bird bow, shot down a few birds and even roasted one during a break to give to Zhou Lexing.

"Eat! I sprinkled salt on it, it's delicious!"

Zhou Lexing recognized the person who had taken the rabbit he had given away earlier. He smiled and did not refuse. He took a bite himself, praised it, and then handed it to Gu Jiansheng.

"Try it."

Gu Jiansheng pursed his lips. Seeing his expression, Zhou Lexing knew that he was trying to refuse other people's kindness again, so he simply stuffed the stick for roasting sparrows into his hand and took the coarse grain bun that he was holding in his other hand.

"I'd like to try your cooking too."

He opened his mouth and stuffed a few mouthfuls of the cornbread into it, chewing it carefully, and swallowed it down with a normal expression.

"Eat up." Zhou Lexing turned his head and saw that Gu Jiansheng was still not moving, so he urged him. He then took out the white steamed buns that he had put in Gu Jiansheng's cloth bag and stuffed them into his hand, which was still hanging in the air. "Eat quickly, finish them all, and I'll take you to wash your hands."

Gu Jiansheng knew that this meant they wanted to go to the toilet together. The deeper into the forest, the more dangerous it would be, so it was not suitable to go alone.

He was silent for a moment, then finally opened his mouth and took a bite of the roasted sparrow. The aroma of the charred meat immediately filled his mouth, and his mouth watered as he drooled, soaking the slightly dry meat. His tongue, which hadn't tasted meat in a long time, honestly transmitted the salty and savory flavor to his brain, quickly dispelling all his worries. Gu Jiansheng ate it carefully, one bite after another. There wasn't much sparrow meat, so he ate it very meticulously.

Zhou Lexing watched for a while with an unconscious smile on his face, but after realizing that he was staring at the other person, he quickly looked away and glanced at the flowers and plants next to him, but his mind was still replaying the satisfied look on Gu Jiansheng's face.

Her moist lips curved into a barely perceptible smile, and even her eyes narrowed slightly.

So cute.

Gu Jiansheng finished his late lunch carefully, then got up and followed Zhou Lexing to relieve himself.

Gu Jiansheng's steps were not very steady, but he was always steady and cautious, seeking stability rather than speed. He did not rest when he was tired, and he never fell behind.

Zhou Lexing stayed by his side, and the two had unknowingly developed a tacit understanding, supporting each other on the rugged sections of the road to speed up the journey.

Even though there was no need to rush now, Gu Jiansheng still instinctively grabbed Zhou Lexing's strong arm as he went around a large rock. Zhou Lexing quickly grabbed his wrist and steadily supported his body as he stepped over the pile of rubble.

Gu Jiansheng only realized this when he passed the pile of stones again on his way back. A mix of embarrassment and an indescribable sense of shock rushed into his brain, making even the tips of his ears feel hot.

Zhou Lexing looked at him in surprise: "Is it hot?"

"Mmm." Gu Jiansheng's voice was low, and his head was lowered.

Seeing that even the exposed back of his neck was tinged with a light red, Zhou Lexing worried that he might get sick from the heat, so he took out a towel he had prepared for bathing, wet it, and wiped his head and face.

Gu Jiansheng had never had his face wiped since he was old enough to understand, and he felt even more embarrassed. He instinctively tried to dodge, but the cool towel had already landed on his face, brushing his cheeks with its dampness, and then draped over his neck.

"Hang in there a little longer, I reckon we'll be at the stream in about two hours."

As Zhou Lexing wiped Gu Jiansheng's sweaty palms, he casually remarked.

This information came from a conversation he had with some senior members of his team.

Because of Zhou Shusheng's special circumstances, Zhou Lexing's care for those he cared about during this period had become an instinct and a habit, and he did not immediately realize the intimacy of this behavior.

Gu Jiansheng was completely frozen by Zhou Lexing's actions. Upon hearing this, he could only respond blankly. In a daze, the sound of his heartbeat seemed to clearly enter his ears the moment he responded, one beat after another, with a relentless fervor, easily evaporating the dampness from his head, face, and hands.

"ah--!"

"Snake! Big snake!"

Just as Zhou Lexing put the towel away, he heard four other people who had also gone to relieve themselves running toward him, shouting and waving their hands in the air. As they got closer, Zhou Lexing could easily see the terror on their faces. His heart skipped a beat, and he immediately grabbed the bamboo basket with one hand and pulled Gu Jiansheng to his feet with the other.

The others under the shade of the tree naturally noticed something was wrong and stood up from the ground, looking anxiously in the direction they were running from.

The old hunter had the best eyesight; he saw the hunter's expression suddenly change, and he shouted, "It's a snake! Scatter! Run!"

As the old hunter finished speaking, Zhou Lexing finally saw just how big the so-called giant snake really was.

That thing was as thick as an adult's thigh. As it swam along, it left deep grooves in the grass, but I couldn't see its tail for a long time.

Zhou Lexing's expression changed, and he immediately pulled Gu Jiansheng to follow closely behind the old hunter, running wildly in another direction.

Although they were prepared before entering the mountains, they were still short of supplies and didn't even have a hunting rifle. Their most lethal weapon, apart from the machete used to clear the way, was a longbow in the old hunter's hand. But if that thing didn't hit their vital spot, it was hard to say who would die first.