After the water boils, carefully lift the pot off the stove by wrapping the handle with leaves, and let it cool slightly before taking it away.

When I was about to feed him, I found it difficult to do so while he was lying down, and I was also worried that he might choke.

"Yan Zheng".

"Can you hear me? Wake up." Jiang Xi tried to wake him, gently patting his arm.

More than four years have passed, and the man in front of me has lost his youthful innocence; there is no trace of his past in his eyes and brows.

His hair had been cut into a neat buzz cut, and his facial features were sharper than before. He also seemed to be a bit darker than before, with a natural wheat color, which added a touch of composure and wildness to his appearance.

After calling him several times without any response, just as they were about to give up, the man opened his eyes.

Jiang Xi felt relieved: "You're awake. How are you feeling? Get up and have some water." She then went to help him up.

Yan Zheng's eyes were not very clear at the moment. When he saw the person in front of him clearly, he grabbed her wrist without thinking.

Jiang Xi was stunned for a moment. His hands were large, with thin calluses under his ring finger and thumb, probably from years of sword practice. The warmth from his wrist gave Jiang Xi a strange strength, making her suddenly feel that she was not alone in this deep mountain forest.

Looking into her eyes, Yan Zheng's heart skipped a beat. He propped himself up on his arms and sat up, holding out his hand: "Didn't you want me to drink water?"

"Here, I just burned this."

Jiang Xi pulled her hand away and placed the half-warm instant noodle pot in front of Yan Zheng, then turned her head back to watch the fire.

Looking at Jiang Xi so close to him, Yan Zheng concealed the turmoil in his eyes and tried to control his trembling hands. Just as he thought, everything was exactly as he expected.

His expression changed from tense to relaxed. He lowered his eyes, took a few sips, and handed the rest of the water to Jiang Xi: "How long have I been asleep?" As he spoke, he struggled to prop himself up with one hand and looked around.

"Have some more."

"I don't know either, I just woke up." Jiang Xi breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he didn't seem to be feeling unwell after waking up, and didn't reach for him.

Yan Zheng glanced at her and said in a tone that was half commanding and half persuading, "Drink it. I don't think there's any fresh water here. Cherish every sip."

He got up and walked a few steps away, then squatted down to look at the marks on the ground around him. After a long while, he said seriously, "It looks like a primeval forest."

"You don't know where this is?" Jiang Xi lowered her eyes and slowly sipped the water in the pot.

She said calmly, with a hint of probing, "I thought you brought me here."

She asked this question for a reason. Putting aside the information she received before she fainted, the fact that the two of them were in the forest together was suspicious enough.

What exactly happened after I fainted?

Yan Zheng understood the meaning behind her words, his expression changed, and he turned cold: "You think too highly of me. I don't have that much ability. When I found you, we were both unconscious."

"I don't know how I got here, but now... I have to think about how to survive." He turned to look at her, his eyes dark and unreadable.

Yan Zheng looked at her face, which was extremely thin from hunger. Her face was pale, her white inner layer was loosely draped over her body, and her slightly curly long hair hung limply over her shoulders.

Just as I remembered, her eyes were bright, only her demeanor was much cooler than before. Her lips were chapped and peeling from excessive dehydration, but even in her disheveled state, her natural beauty remained undeniable.

Jiang Xi glanced back at him, not delving into the previous topic. She understood what he meant. This place was dark and gloomy, surrounded by dense forests. At night, there might be wild animals and mosquitoes. Coupled with the cries of monkeys not far away, the two of them were like fat sheep that had strayed into a pack of wolves.

Furthermore, given the current situation, if he's unwilling to talk, she really has no way to get him to open his mouth. She can only take a long-term approach and go out first.

So he said, "The noises over there haven't stopped; they sound like monkeys or wild men."

"Let's go somewhere further away."

Yan Zheng stared at the giant excrement in the grass, guessing that there was probably a wild beast there. He gritted his teeth, his face darkening with gloom, but a pang of sympathy came to his lips: "Don't worry, it's not a savage, it's probably an ape or a monkey."

"However, this thing is very protective of its food and has a strong sense of territory. We should leave here first and go further away before making any further plans."

Before she could answer, Yan Zheng extinguished the fire and covered it with soil, his movements slightly hurried: "Let's go up to higher ground and see what kind of place this is."

Hearing him say that, Jiang Xi breathed a slight sigh of relief; as long as it wasn't a wild beast, that was good. She quickly packed the pot into her backpack and looked around to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything.

She was still a little worried about his current condition and asked, "Are you feeling any better?"

After thinking for a moment, he added, "...I mean, if you're really not feeling well, don't force yourself, or eat something first. It would be dangerous if you collapsed on the road."

She meant it sincerely; right now, health is the most important thing, and he didn't seem to be in good condition.

Yan Zheng glanced at her, casually pulled an axe from his bag, grabbed the backpack from her hand and slung it over his shoulder, then tossed the down jacket on the ground to her, replying nonchalantly, "You won't die."

"If you were really afraid that I would be a burden to you, you shouldn't have woken me up."

"Let's go, there's light here."

Without saying anything more, he pointed his axe in the direction of the light in the jungle and went ahead to clear a path.

Jiang Xi pursed her lips, pretending not to hear his sarcasm. She didn't understand where this man got his arrogance from. He acted like a fighting cock as soon as he saw her. But at this moment, she had no choice but to bow her head. She still needed him to get out of the forest, so she pretended not to hear him, picked up their thick clothes, and followed him.

The two walked one after the other through the jungle, where the trees were tall and straight, with lush foliage. Besides the towering ancient trees, the ground was covered with various shrubs and knee-high weeds. The terrain was complex and the path was rugged; one wrong step and you could get stuck in the mud or thorns.

Jiang Xi felt that this was the first time in her life she had exercised so much, and every ravine and hill was a huge test for her.

Compared to Jiang Xi, Yan Zheng seemed to be in better condition. He was much more agile. When he encountered messy and difficult-to-walk thick aerial roots and moss-covered stones, Yan Zheng would turn around and reach out his hand. Jiang Xi ignored his attitude just now and, based on the principle of getting along amicably, did not refuse his kindness. She let Yan Zheng hold her arm tightly and help her carefully climb over.

As you walk further on, the trees become less dense, and more sunlight streams in from the sky. The shrubs and wild grasses on the ground take advantage of the gaps in their absorption of nutrients to grow more and more lush.

I passed by a tall tree with a thick trunk that required three people to encircle it. It looked like a banyan tree, and its canopy completely blocked out the sky.

Yan Zheng rummaged through the bushes and picked up two sticks from under the tree. He cautiously observed his surroundings, handed one stick to her, and said, "Listen, the bushes will get denser as you go further. The most dangerous creatures in the jungle are poisonous snakes. Watch your step as you walk, and tap the grass with the stick to scare them away."

“Of course, it’s best to avoid grass and bushes.” He gave her a look and didn’t say anything more.