Chang Lili had exerted too much force earlier and was still panting heavily. She held the round wooden tube in her hand and examined it carefully, but couldn't figure out anything about it.
"This looks like a box?" Chang Lili said, weighing it in her hand.
As she asked the question, she subconsciously looked at Meng Yuxiu. Whether it was her imagination or not, Chang Lili felt that Meng Yuxiu's expression was not good as he looked at the box.
"I think so." He seemed to be recalling unpleasant memories.
Chang Lili looked at him suspiciously for a while, then turned to look at the box in her hand, turning it over and over.
After a moment, her eyes lit up and she said, "I know, the legendary mechanism box, it must contain the key to the gate."
After she finished speaking, she focused intently on the box and began to examine it carefully.
"This box is too smooth. It looks flawless, like a piece of wood. But the weight is a bit strange." She frowned slightly, staring at the wooden box with some distress.
This wooden box is like a smooth piece of wood. The outer bark has been peeled off, and the remaining part shows no cracks. If you said that the wood had been hollowed out, no one could tell the trace.
Chang Lili felt there must be something fishy going on. The thing she had painstakingly found seemed flawless and must be the key.
She stood there holding the round piece of wood, feeling around for a while. When she got tired of standing, she squatted down. Meng Yuxiu brought some grass over and placed it on the ground, so she sat down on the ground as if it were her right.
She didn't know how much time had passed, but the sky was beginning to darken. Suddenly, Chang Lili noticed that the top and bottom of the wooden box looked without any marks, but if you pressed the center, it would sink in layer by layer. Those marks that looked like tree rings were actually left by the craftsmanship.
She was so shocked she couldn't speak. Looking at the layers of wood core peeling off in her hand, she turned around in surprise, only to smell the aroma of meat.
It was already dark. Meng Yuxiu had lit a fire sometime during the day, and had hunted rabbits and caught fish sometime during the day, which he was now roasting.
The plump rabbits and fish sizzled and dripped with oil under the firelight, their aroma irresistible.
Chang Lili ran over carrying the broken wooden box, excitedly saying, "Look, this wooden box isn't hollow at all! The wood inside is incredibly light; we can actually take it out..."
As she spoke, her gaze drifted to the sizzling rabbit meat.
Meng Yuxiu was both amused and exasperated, saying, "You've really made a remarkable discovery, but it's time to eat now."
A gleaming dagger appeared in his hand, and he moved the rabbit meat away from the fire.
Chang Lili's gaze followed the rabbit meat. She swallowed and asked, "When can we eat?"
With a slight movement of the dagger in Meng Yuxiu's hand, a thin slice of rabbit meat was sliced off and fell to the ground.
A faint smile played on his lips as he casually said, "We can eat now."
This alarmed Chang Lili greatly. She hurriedly reached out to take the rabbit meat, exclaiming in alarm, "What are you doing?"
But the next moment, the rabbit meat landed on a lush green lotus leaf.
Meng Yuxiu continued to slice the rabbit meat, his movements skillful and practiced. The slices of rabbit meat were thin and even, making both the person and the rabbit meat a pleasing sight to behold.
Chang Lili glanced at Meng Yuxiu in surprise before reaching out to pick up some rabbit meat and put it in her mouth. Halfway through, she felt it was impolite and politely handed the rabbit meat to Meng Yuxiu, saying, "You eat first, you've worked hard."
She was just being polite, thinking that Meng Yuxiu would let her eat first, but unexpectedly, Meng Yuxiu lowered his head and took a bite of the rabbit meat from her hand.
She froze, her hand stiffening as if the piece of rabbit meat was still in her grasp.
Just now, in the instant Meng Yuxiu lowered his head, his soft lips brushed against her fingers, leaving a fleeting kiss, like a dragonfly skimming the water.
However, it was only a fleeting moment. Meng Yuxiu chewed the rabbit meat as if nothing had happened, but Chang Lili felt a burning sensation where his lips had lightly brushed against hers.
"What's wrong?" Meng Yuxiu peeled off the last piece of rabbit meat, looked at her, and smiled meaningfully.
"N-nothing." Chang Lili quickly withdrew her hand, lowered her head, stuffed the rabbit meat into her mouth, and blushed.
After the two had eaten and drunk their fill, Meng Yuxiu added firewood to the fire, while Chang Lili continued to ponder the ingenuity of the wooden box.
"Where is the key? This box is empty, is there a key or not?" Chang Lili scratched her head, feeling her patience was about to run out.
She lay down wearily on the grass, exhaled, and twisted the hollowed-out wooden tube around her arm as the stars twinkled in the night sky.
Meng Yuxiu sat down to the side, added some firewood, and said, "Don't rush. This trap formation is dangerous. The first challenge is designed to discourage people. It tests your patience and your dedication to traps."
Chang Lili frowned and said, "Of course I won't give up so easily."
She turned the wooden tube around again, then suddenly jumped up, took the tube from her hand, and looked inside. Unfortunately, it was late at night, so she couldn't see clearly.
She turned and looked at the fire, vaguely seeing the ring-like patterns on the inner wall.
"Here! Here!" Chang Lili exclaimed excitedly, reaching out to pull Meng Yuxiu. "It's in here!"
The latter smiled indulgently and said, "I didn't expect you to find out about this too."
Chang Lili reached out and began to feel around on the inner wall, but after a long time, it was all smooth and she couldn't find anything she could touch.
Suddenly, she frowned and looked at Meng Yuxiu with a serious expression. Their eyes met, and the atmosphere was very tense. But the next moment, a surprised smile bloomed on Chang Lili's face.
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