surrender

Gu Jiansheng stumbled after Zhou Lexing, whose hand was firmly in his, the heat of Zhou Lexing's palm making his palm sweat.

He dared not turn around, but stared at the ground, fearing that he might fall and hold others back.

Heavy breathing came in waves until Gu Jiansheng felt his throat was dry and painful, and his lungs were burning. Only then did Zhou Lexing gradually slow down.

Zhou Lexing glanced back at the panting Gu Jiansheng, pulled him closer with his other hand, and looked back at the vast expanse of wild grass and the equally dense shade of trees behind him.

Neither of them spoke for a moment; only their breathing mingled together, one heavy and one light.

"It's alright now."

Zhou Lexing gently comforted him, casually brushing the stray hairs sticking to Gu Jiansheng's face back, wiping away the sweat that was about to fall into his eyes with his rough palms, and then pulled him to continue walking forward.

"We need to find an open space first." It was already quite late.

The old hunter was confident enough to lead a group of people into the mountains not only because of his years of experience, but also because he had traveled this route many times before. The machete used for clearing the way was mostly unnecessary, and was mainly used for setting up temporary campsites at night.

But unexpectedly, such an accident occurred midway. Now, everyone is scattered, which is one thing, but getting through the night and finding the way back is the most troublesome thing.

The incident happened suddenly, and Gu Jiansheng's bamboo basket was still on the spot, but now was not a good time to go back and look for it.

Fortunately, Zhou Lexing's basket was right beside him at the time, and it contained everything he needed, so he should be able to get through the night without any problem.

They walked for nearly 20 minutes before finding a suitable open space.

Zhou Lexing told Gu Jiansheng to sit on a rock and rest his feet: "Watch closely. When the big snake comes, shout loudly."

He made a joke, then turned around and deftly began clearing a space. He only felt relieved when the fire was lit.

"Okay, come on over. Don't let the mosquitoes carry you away."

Summer's tail end lingers in the south, and sometimes the temperature doesn't drop even in October, let alone August. Now is the time when mosquitoes are most rampant, and without mosquito repellent, campfires become crucial.

There will be fewer mosquitoes if there is a fire.

Gu Jiansheng immediately obeyed and sat down next to him.

As the sun sets, the light filtering through the trees in the woods quickly becomes dim.

Did you see that big snake?

While whittling down the tree branch, Zhou Lexing casually asked.

Gu Jiansheng shook his head, then nodded. Seeing Zhou Lexing looking over with a smile in his eyes, he felt a little uncomfortable for some reason: "I saw something moving, but I couldn't see it clearly."

Zhou Lexing rubbed the goosebumps that had risen on his arms as he thought of the giant snake's appearance: "It's a good thing that I can't see it clearly."

Otherwise, I might have nightmares again when I get back.

They sharpened the branches, scraped off the thorns, skewered the steamed buns on them, and put them on to bake. Neither of them spoke again.

The woods were both noisy and quiet, with the chirping of insects rising and falling incessantly. A gentle breeze occasionally brushed against my face, and I could hear the rustling of branches colliding and rubbing against each other in the wind. In a daze, even the world seemed to have become much larger.

Gu Jiansheng was lost in thought for a moment, holding his own string of steamed buns, when he suddenly felt Zhou Lexing gently nudge him with his shoulder. He looked over in a daze and saw Zhou Lexing raise his chin and look up at the sky.

Gu Jiansheng quickly looked up as well, and after seeing the night sky clearly, he felt a ripple of emotion spread through his calm heart.

The clear night sky is dotted with stars, even more awe-inspiring than the bright moon.

Gu Jiansheng didn't know how long it had been since he had stopped to take a proper look at the sky.

He was constantly looking for an opportunity to escape the control of fate, frantically seeking a way out time and time again.

Blood and pain have been his constant companions since some unknown time.

Gu Jiansheng often felt powerless and in pain, as if he were standing in a bottomless swamp, and no matter how hard he struggled, it was all in vain.

But now, Gu Jiansheng seems to see a glimmer of hope to escape the swamp. However, he dares not gamble. He dares not gamble that fate will play another trick on him, dragging him back into a hopeless hell when he lets his guard down. So he can only fight back. His pain has solidified into agonizing hatred. Gu Jiansheng is constantly and desperately hoping to repay those evil people with double the suffering he has endured. He dares not stop for a moment, but now, he seems to have slowed down without realizing it.

Is this correct?

Gu Jiansheng had no answer in his heart.

But undeniably, at this moment, being by Zhou Lexing's side, he did feel a sense of peace that he hadn't felt in a long time.

“Look at that cloud, doesn’t it look like the steamed bun you’re eating right now?” Zhou Lexing suddenly said, then couldn’t help but laugh. “And that little blob over there, it looks like a butt, hahaha…”

Gu Jiansheng: "..."

All the anxiety, affectation, and worry seem to disappear as soon as they are associated with Zhou Lexing.

Gu Jiansheng was speechless, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.

He lowered his eyes, refusing to look at the buttocks that Zhou Lexing was pointing to, no matter how Zhou Lexing tried to pull them away.

Zhou Lexing had no idea what giving up meant. He first nudged him with his shoulder, then bumped him with his knee.

Gu Jiansheng pursed his lips, trying to suppress the smile that involuntarily crept out, and nudged him with his elbow.

The two quickly started playfully fighting, their uncontrollable laughter rising up. Mantou Chuan had somehow drifted away from the campfire, and even the fluffy clouds in the sky had drifted away with the wind, leisurely moving away from the commotion.

Gu Jiansheng's ticklish spot on his side was the first to be exposed, and he couldn't help but dodge to the side. This dodge quickly led to his defeat, and he could only retreat step by step.

"Hahahaha! I surrender! I surrender! Hahahaha!"

Gu Jiansheng laughed until tears streamed down his face, then lay down on the ground, finally escaping from Zhou Lexing's clutches.

Zhou Lexing also had a big smile on his face, and his bright eyes seemed to be shining in the reflection of the campfire.

"Hmph, you little brat, trying to mess with me!"

He adopted a strange, villainous tone, laughed a few times, and then casually lay down next to Gu Jiansheng. Only then did he realize that the cloud-like figure had been blown away by the wind at some point, turning into a... fried dough stick adorning the edge of the dazzling starry sky.

Zhou Lexing nodded as he pondered to himself.

Gu Jiansheng finally managed to calm the surge of laughter in his chest. It seemed like he hadn't laughed so heartily in a long time. His naturally drooping hand unconsciously followed the surging emotions and reached for the source of the heat. His soft fingertips gently brushed over the rough gravel and supple grass stems, touching the slightly hot surface.

He paused, looked down, and sure enough, saw a slightly charred skewer of steamed bun between Zhou Lexing and him.

Gu Jiansheng couldn't help but laugh again, so he picked it up and patted off the sand that was stuck to it.

"It's covered in dust."

"It's okay, you can still eat it after tearing it apart."

Zhou Lexing used his waist and abdomen to lightly get up and lean against Gu Jiansheng. He took the skewer of steamed buns from Gu Jiansheng's hand, glanced at it, and then looked down at the face so close to his: "How about we roast two more rabbits? I'll catch some for you tomorrow."

Gu Jiansheng stared blankly at Zhou Lexing's face, which appeared even more defined under the campfire. Tiny beads of sweat dampened the wheat-colored skin on the sides of his face, which, combined with his unruly stubble, gave him a wild look. The fervent heat emanating from him made Gu Jiansheng feel that his heartbeat had not yet recovered from the playful fight, and it was pounding against his eardrums with force.

He didn't hear what Zhou Lexing said at all, and just nodded blindly.

Zhou Lexing was satisfied and got up to deal with the rabbits in the basket. Because he was afraid that Gu Jiansheng would think too much and the load was heavy, Zhou Lexing always split the harvest in half. In a way, this ensured that they would have food for the night.

Gu Jiansheng stared blankly at him as he busied himself, and only after a long while did he lower his head and take a bite of the slightly burnt piece of steamed bun.

“哢”.

The sound of teeth hitting gravel is teeth-gritty.

Gu Jiansheng couldn't help but scrunch up his face.

Zhou Lexing vaguely heard a sound, turned his head and couldn't help but burst into laughter again: "Are you stupid?"

He casually plucked a handful of grass, wiped his hands briefly, and then picked up the aluminum kettle and handed it to Gu Jiansheng: "Here, rinse your mouth."

"This place should not be far from the valley. Let's go and take a look at it as soon as it's light tomorrow morning."

They had no shortage of food, but water was scarce, and even when two people traveled back to the village together, they needed to replenish their water supply.

Gu Jiansheng was aware of this and did not drink too much.

After a simple treatment, the rabbit was first wiped with broad leaves and then soaked in a metal lunchbox to clean it. Then, another metal lunchbox was filled with clean water, salt, and perilla leaves picked along the way, and then it was placed on the fire.

Zhou Lexing washed his hands with sand and grass leaves before picking up a piece of steamed bun. He simply blew off the dust and then placed it on the fire to roast it.

"Be careful when you eat." Zhou Lexing swapped the skewer of steamed buns in his hand for the one in Gu Jiansheng's hand, and repeated the process before bringing the slightly hot skewer of steamed buns to his mouth.

The bread pieces are dry and crispy on the outside, with a slightly caramelized aroma. The more you chew, the sweeter the wheat flavor becomes.

After finishing his meal, Zhou Lexing started whittling tree branches again.

Gu Jiansheng watched his actions as he ate: "Are you going to make a slingshot?"

Zhou Lexing nodded: "Who knows, we might even be able to catch a couple of birds for a treat."

In fact, what Zhou Lexing really wanted was a longbow. He could forget about the hunting rifle, but with a bow and arrows, at least he would have the possibility of fighting back if he encountered danger.

However, the skill required for the longbow was too high, and he couldn't do it in a short time, so he had to settle for second best.

After he roughly shaped the slingshot, he got up to cut tree bark and plucked some plucked grass stems, which he then soaked in the blood water he had previously used to wash the rabbit meat.

Only after the bark and grass stems softened did they begin to try making rope.

Zhou Lexing was also mischievous when he was a child. Back then, there were no toys for him to play with, so he made whatever he wanted to play with. But in fact, it has been a long time since he has done this kind of work.

However, since he arrived here, he has done many new things, mostly relying on patience, and this time is no exception.

As the iron lunchbox on the fire began to gurgle and churn, wisps of steam rose, and the aroma of perilla mixed with the smell of meat immediately caught the attention of the two.

Gu Jiansheng stared at the metal lunchbox, carefully added some water, and then put the lid on.

In the small, makeshift camp, the only sound for a moment was the crackling of the firewood.

The two were busy with their own things, occasionally exchanging a few meaningless words. By the time the rabbit meat was cooked, the slingshot was already taking shape.

"I'll try it again after I finish eating, I don't know if it will work."

After all, it was the first time he had made a slingshot entirely by hand. There wasn't even a proper rubber band; he had only edited various wilderness survival video clips he had seen on various video websites before, and he wasn't sure if it would work.

But Gu Jiansheng had complete trust in his skills: "If it's something you made, it'll definitely turn out well."

Zhou Lexing was stunned when he heard this, and a strange feeling welled up in his heart that he couldn't quite explain, like joy and palpitations at the same time.

He looked at Gu Jiansheng's radiant profile by the campfire for a while, then suddenly smiled: "That's true."