Yan Zheng led the fawn, and Jiang Xi headed towards the wild boar.

The wild boar was unaware of the danger, nudging around under a tree with its snout. The dense forest was deep and secluded, and Jiang Xi didn't dare to get too close. She chose a suitable spot and drew her bow.

First came a crisp whooshing sound, followed by the wild boar's miserable howl. Jiang Xi was overjoyed and gave chase.

The injured wild boar lunged deeper into the forest.

It was too fast. In the blink of an eye, Jiang Xi could only see the wild boar turn into a black dot. She was anxious, thinking that the pig she had caught was about to run away.

Suddenly, a "whoosh" sound came from behind. A sharp arrow grazed the tree trunk beside her, tearing through the green leaves and heading into the forest. Jiang Xi's heart skipped a beat. It was Yan Zheng who had fired a finishing shot.

Then the dark figure fluttered twice and then fell silent.

"I got it!" Jiang Xi excitedly waved to Yan Zheng by the lake and ran towards the wild boar.

Then Yan Zheng put away his bow, stopped the deer cart, and went into the woods to investigate.

Jiang Xi was hesitant to get close, but Yan Zheng walked over and flipped the pig over. It wasn't quite dead yet; its limbs were still twitching.

She drew the sword from her back and gave the pig a quick death.

Then he gave Jiang Xi an approving look: "You're doing well. Although your strength is a bit lacking, your accuracy is getting better and better."

Jiang Xi's arrow hit the little pig's hind leg, but unfortunately, her arrow wasn't powerful enough and didn't penetrate deeply enough, so the little pig still had the strength to run.

Yan Zheng's arrow pierced the wild boar's abdomen, the wound running down its spine, which immediately rendered it unable to move.

Jiang Xi said with a hint of smugness, "You could say I have some talent, right?"

“Yes, of course it counts. I’ll add bones for you later.” With that, he grinned and dragged the pig’s hind leg toward the lake.

Jiang Xi was initially a little smug, but after listening, she realized something was wrong; they were treating her like a little black cat.

Enraged, she grabbed Yan Zheng by the neck and said, "What are you talking about? You're the one who's gnawing on bones."

He was sharp-tongued and held on tightly to her hand.

Yan Zheng dragged the pig with one hand and pried at her with the other, but Jiang Xi's arm strength had recently increased significantly. After a long while, he had no choice but to surrender: "I, I'm a puppy, I'll gnaw on the bone."

That's more like it. Jiang Xi let go of him and even kindly tugged at his collar.

The two men lifted the tiny pig, about the size of a gas cylinder, onto the vehicle. Jiang Xi glanced at the woods ahead and said worriedly, "I wonder how those two's talk went."

Yan Zheng picked up Xiao Lu again and said calmly, "Don't worry, Yan Jing'an knows what he's doing. He hurt someone last time, so he won't hurt them this time."

Lin ran forward like a madwoman, but the person behind her was always there, like a persistent ghost. She felt like she couldn't run anymore.

My legs felt like they were stuck in mud, so heavy I couldn't lift them.

Once again, she was exhausted and unconsciously slowed down.

How long has it been?

I don't know how long it's been, I just feel muscle soreness, my internal organs feel like they're about to explode, and all I feel in my throat is a numb, metallic taste.

She had barely caught her breath when the footsteps behind her started again, so she had no choice but to grit her teeth and keep running.

For the first time, she realized how vast the forest was.

Her fair face was filled with fear and terror. She had reached her limit. Her legs gave way, and Lin felt like a butterfly, flying straight towards the thorn bushes on the ground.

She resignedly closed her eyes.

He was panting heavily. It was over. The torture was finally over. He didn't have to run anymore.

The next second, a rope suddenly tightened around my waist, and I heard a rustling sound.

She didn't know what was happening. Then, a feeling of weightlessness came over her, and she was hanging from the tree next to her.

Immediately afterward, Yan Jing'an jumped down from the tree. Lin looked at the thorn bushes two meters away from him on the ground and broke out in a cold sweat. If he really pounced on them, the consequences would be unimaginable.

He held a rope in his hand, and as he climbed down the tree, the rope shortened, and Lin was hoisted up two meters.

Four meters above the ground, she was a little scared. Her face was frighteningly pale, making the pink scar on her forehead stand out, like a translucent pink magnolia flower.

With red eyes, she stammered as she asked Yan Jing'an under the tree, "What...are you doing?"

Yan Jing'an's eyes were deep: "Your aptitude is not bad. Jiang Xi said she wants you to be my partner."

Lin then understood his intention. It turned out that he wasn't unable to catch her, but deliberately letting her run away. This was the cat-and-mouse game that her father used to tell her when she was a child.

The thought that he had deliberately teased her made Lin Yi feel a rush of blood to her head, and her face flushed red.

Hanging there, she felt angry and humiliated, but she couldn't speak properly and didn't know how to curse.

Yan Jing'an didn't look at her again, a wicked smile playing on his lips: "To be honest, I don't think much of you. You're vicious and you're not a likable person."

They are adept at feigning helplessness to gain sympathy.

His eyes were lowered, and he murmured, "But Jiang Xi likes you."

This sentence sounds like it's being said to oneself.

Lin was hanging there, cold sweat pouring down her face. She didn't care about anything else and blurted out, "You're not good either."

Upon hearing this, Yan Jing'an raised an eyebrow, glanced at her, and scoffed, "What, you're not pretending anymore? You've learned to bite now."

He said slyly, "Even if it was bad, I still helped you get rid of a menace. You're really heartless. At least it took care of you, and you just killed it like that."

Lin's face turned deathly pale instantly, her expression contorted in pain. She screamed in terror, "What do you know... You're just like me..."

As soon as those words left his mouth, Yan Jing'an's face turned icy. He tightened the rope by several tens of centimeters.

Lin instantly felt like she had climbed another step higher. She could no longer hold back her tears, which streamed down her face.

Yan Jing'an held the rope in his hand, a half-smile on his lips, and said, "The tree trunk is right on your back. Figure out how to get down from the tree yourself."

Upon hearing this, Lin hurriedly wiped her face with trembling hands, then turned her arms behind her back and followed the rope to find the tree trunk, which was as thick as her waist.

Without a second thought, she forcefully rolled over and grabbed the tree trunk. Then, trembling, she untied the ropes binding her. The ropes had wrapped around her waist twice, securing her firmly to the tree in a peculiar way, without showing any sign of loosening.

Even if she was slow to realize it, she knew she couldn't afford to offend this person. Holding onto the tree trunk, she carefully climbed down.

Having grown up in the forest, these were all essential skills. After climbing down from the tree, Yan Jing'an impatiently said, "Come with me, they'll catch up in a bit."

Lin Gang climbed down from the tree, which was several meters high. She had been hanging there for quite a while, and her legs were a little weak. She felt a lot of resentment and fear towards him, but she couldn't say it out loud. Her feet unconsciously followed behind him.

Jiang Xi and Yan Zheng hurried along the lakeside. When they encountered wild duck nests, Jiang Xi would go into each nest and take two duck eggs. Before taking them, she would shake them and observe them against the sun for a while to avoid taking ducklings that were about to hatch.

When they reached the cliff below the cave, Lin and Yan Jing'an were already waiting.

Lin sat on a rock by the river, head down.

Yan Jing'an, on the other hand, was in high spirits and was skipping stones on the lake.