Xia Lunong and the others had to prepare what they were going to bring before they left.

It was already September 7th, and the autumn wind was starting to pick up. It was a bit cold at night, so they had to first prepare some cold-weather clothing, and then the food

they would need for daily life. Xia Lunong and Kong Zhi took inventory together, "Let's bring more chili sauce, noodles, dried tomatoes, and the like, right? Then bring peanuts and soybeans. I can now quickly grow peanut and bean sprouts, which are very convenient to carry."

Kong Zhi: "Bring more honey."

"Okay, I'll go upstairs and take a look."

The honey they collected last time was piled up on the second floor and packed in ceramic jars.

Compared to the first time when all the honey was mixed together, the quality of the honey they received last time was much better.

They directly collected the entire beehive, and the honey inside was divided very finely, with the water honey and the cooked honey completely separated. Now they would eat the water honey first.

Honey doesn't have that much energy, so Xia Lunong doesn't mind using it to make honey water.

Xia Lunong uses a plastic jar to seal the honey, and then covers the mouth of the jar with plastic wrap, wraps it tightly, shakes it, and puts it away after making sure it can't shake out.

The rest of the supplies are tied up with ropes, and then covered with a layer of plastic wrap to ensure that they won't get wet or damaged by bumps.

In the evening, Xia Huoqu came back, checked the supplies he had packed, and reminded him, "You can bring more honey."

"Aren't two cans enough?" Xia Lunong took out a plastic can of honey, "Two cans of honey have more than 1,000 milliliters."

"Not enough. We may be away for a long time this time, and we may encounter more things. Bring more to be prepared." Xia Huoqu said, "Bai Lou is already studying bees. It is estimated that we will have honey to eat next year. It doesn't matter if we bring more." Xia

Lunong nodded, and asked curiously, "Then I'll get some more tomorrow. How many people are going out this time? Is there anything special?"

Xia Huoqu glanced at Yan Xinian.

There was nothing to hide about this matter, Yan Xinian took the initiative to take over the conversation, "There are about thirty people. Didn't we receive a letter from another base some time ago? This time, while we are free, we agreed to go out together and explore the situation nearby to see if we can find a way to contact other bases directly."

Xia Lunong didn't expect that this trip had this purpose, and she was immediately refreshed, "Then I'll take two more jars of honey. Who are going out with us, brother Xinian, can you tell me?"

"The four of us will definitely go out. Baniu and his friends who you have dealt with before are also here, and Lao Liu and his friends are following. For safety, Dr. Ou will also follow, and there are also a few female members you haven't had much contact with."

This is the first time Xia Lunong has heard that they are going out with female members since she woke up, "Is it convenient?"

"It's OK, I'll get over it. There are also a few female members who are very skilled, you'll know when I see you in two days."

Xia Lunong was really looking forward to it.

When he prepared the supplies, he carefully prepared some medicines, including a box of painkillers to relieve dysmenorrhea.

After Xia Lunong prepared everything, he found that Kong Zhi seemed to be in a bad mood.

He gently nudged Kong Zhi's feet and asked in a low voice: "What's wrong with you? Why do you seem to be in a bad mood?"

Kong Zhi looked up at him, "Are you happy to go out with the female team members?"

"Not bad." Xia Lunong looked up, a little confused, "Isn't it said that men and women working together are less tired? Doctor Ou is here too. She is my benefactor. I feel happy to go out with her. Are you unhappy?"

"Unhappy." Kong Zhi turned his head and said lightly, "You are so obsessed with women that you forget your brothers. How can I be happy?"

Xia Lunong saw that he didn't seem to be joking, and got anxious, "Hey, I'm wronged! How can I be obsessed with women and forget my brothers?"

Kong Zhi and Xia Lunong looked at each other, "Who is more important, me or Doctor Ou?"

"You, you, you! It must be you! You are my brother!"

Xia Lunong reacted belatedly after she finished speaking. She nudged Kong Zhi with her elbow and asked, "Kong Zhi, are you jealous?"

Kong Zhi pushed him away a little, "Go away."

"I'm not going away. You just are jealous." Xia Lunong put her arm around his shoulders and asked curiously, "I never thought you would be jealous before. Is it the exclusivity of friendship?"

"No." Kong Zhi looked at him and said almost word by word, "I just think you are very important."

Xia Lunong hadn't reacted yet, "I also think you are important, very important. Except for my brother, you and Brother Xi Nian are ranked first in my mind."

"That's called second." Kong Zhi sneered and seemed to be in a bad mood again. He gently pushed Xia Lunong again and pushed him away, "You dull guy."

After saying that, he turned and left.

Xia Lunong was at a loss.

Kong Zhi seemed really angry, and it looked like he didn't even want to talk to him.

For a whole afternoon and night, the two of them were doing their own things, without even making eye contact.

To be precise, Kong Zhi didn't want to have any interaction with Xia Lunong.

Xia Huoqu noticed something was wrong, and asked Xia Lunong privately, "What happened between the two of you?"

"Nothing happened. We just said a few words when we were sorting out supplies. I felt the atmosphere was pretty good at the time, and we didn't even quarrel. I don't know why it turned out like this."

Xia Lunong said this with a bit of grievance, as if she was inexplicably ignored.

Xia Huoqu said, "Tell me your exact conversation today."

Xia Lunong had been wondering why Kong Zhi was angry today, and she remembered this conversation very clearly.

He repeated it exactly as it was, and then said, "Brother, can you help me analyze it? What's the problem? Obviously there is no problem!"

Xia Huoqu glanced at him, "Do you have any special opinions about your relationship?"

Xia Lunong was at a loss, "What special opinions, aren't we just very good buddies?"

After Xia Lunong said this, he thought of something, "Brother, what do you mean by special opinions? You don't think Kong Zhi likes me, do you?"

Xia Lunong has been very good-looking since he was a child. He has been

attracted to many people, both boys and girls. He is quite experienced in being pursued by others, and he is not too slow.

But looking left and right, Kong Zhi doesn't seem to be pursuing him.

Xia Huoqu did not give an accurate answer, but only said to him, "Think about it yourself."

Xia Lunong really thought about it. He not only wondered whether Kong Zhi liked him, but also wondered whether he liked Kong Zhi.

But by the evening, he still hadn't figured it out.

The atmosphere between the two was strange.

Xia Lunong felt that Kong Zhi liked him, and he deliberately avoided suspicion in his words and deeds.

Yan Xinian couldn't stand it, and deliberately asked him privately, "What happened between you two? Did you suddenly break up?"

"No!" Xia Lunong waved her hands quickly, "Nothing, we are still pretty good."

"Then you should talk it out quickly." Yan Xinian warned, "We are about to leave, and there are many dangers outside. If there is a conflict, it will have a great impact on both sides and it will be easy to get into trouble. If it really doesn't work, one of you should stay in the base and don't go out with us."

Xia Lunong said vaguely, "I know, I will go to Kong Zhi to talk it out."

"Hold on!"

Xia Lunong and Kong Zhi lived together, and they were the only two people at night, so it was easy to find an opportunity to talk it out.

Xia Lunong hesitated for a long time, and always felt that it was quite embarrassing to suddenly bring up this topic.

But it was just as his old brother said, they were going out right now, and it was not appropriate to bring the conflict outdoors.

After dinner, his brother and his old brother went back to the house to rest.

Kong Zhi was taking a shower, and Xia Lunong was sitting on the sofa in the living room, wiping her hair casually with a towel, her eyes always looking at the bathroom door.

Kong Zhi took a quick shower, and after a few minutes the bathroom door opened with a "click".

Xia Lunong jumped up from the sofa, looked at Kong Zhi's figure, and shrank back.

Kong Zhi's eyes fell on him. He took a few steps closer and said, "What?"

Xia Lunong swallowed and said, "We need to talk."

Kong Zhi sat down opposite him and said, "Okay, let's talk. What do you want to talk about?"

"We, let's make sure of one thing first." Xia Lunong didn't dare to look him in the eye and said, "You said I was dull. I want to know what you mean by dull."

Kong Zhi said directly, "It refers to our relationship."

Xia Lunong felt that he already knew the truth. He grabbed the clothes on his waist and subconsciously wanted to escape, but he desperately called himself to stop him.

He said in a low voice: "Is it the relationship I imagined? It goes beyond friendship."

Kong Zhi looked at him with nowhere to hide and admitted, "Yes. I am not angry because of the exclusivity of friendship, nor because of jealousy."

Kong Zhi gave a direct answer, "It's just because I like you."

It's just because I like you——!

Xia Lunong's eyes were straightened. His eyes swept across Kong Zhi's face and fell on the sofa opposite. He felt like a thunder exploded in his ears.

He suspected that he had heard it wrong, but he knew clearly that he was not wrong.

"Well, I, you, I just don't know--"

Xia Lunong was incoherent. He scratched his short hair hard. "Hey, well, I don't know what to say. I didn't consider this problem before, and I didn't consider the problem between us."

Kong Zhi's eyes wandered over his face, not missing any of his expressions.

Kong Zhi said, "I know you didn't consider it, you can consider it now."

Xia Lunong's ears were almost burning. "I don't like boys. Well, it's not that. I never thought I could like boys."

Kong Zhi suddenly reached out and gently touched his earlobe, saying, "It's red, not convincing."

Xia Lunong raised his eyes and met Kong Zhi's eyes.

Kong Zhi's eyes were very focused, and it seemed that there was nothing else in his eyes except him.

Xia Lunong wanted to cry but had no tears. She shrank onto the sofa and held the small towel against her chest. "My mind is in a mess right now. Don't tease me."

"I won't tease you." Kong Zhi took a step back and said in a hoarse voice, "You don't hate me, and you don't hate male touch. You're just not used to it yet. We have a lot of time. You can think about it slowly and consider it thoroughly."

Xia Lunong rubbed her arms and said seriously, "Okay, I'll think about it carefully."

After saying this, he said, "Can I ask why you like me? Have you liked boys before?"

"I haven't thought about it." Kong Zhi said lightly, "I have never thought about falling in love before, and I have never liked anyone. I don't know."

"Then..." Xia Lunong hesitated, "Can I ask again, do you like me because I am pretty? Or is it because of something else?"

Kong Zhi's eyes darkened, and he asked back, "Do you think I am the kind of person who is not clear-headed?"

Xia Lunong shook her head.

He was afraid that he could not explain it clearly, so he chose his words carefully, "I have met many boys who confessed to me before, just because I am pretty."

He was a little frustrated when he said it, "Appearance is actually not that important. We have been roommates for so long, you should know me a little bit. I am actually average in nature, lazy and greedy, and a little coquettish."

Kong Zhi listened patiently and asked, "Who do you think is not as good-looking as you, Brother Huo Qu or Captain Yan?"

Xia Lunong blushed, feeling that she was indeed a little overconfident.

Kong Zhi said, "As you said, we have lived together for so long, no matter how good-looking a person is, he should be immune to it. My attraction to you has nothing to do with your appearance, I just like you."

Xia Lunong coughed lightly .

Kong Zhi looked at him, "It's getting late, go back to sleep. You can think about this question slowly, and answer me after you think it through."

Xia Lunong was very confused at the moment, and really couldn't answer him, so he nodded.

"Xia Lunong." When Xia Lunong was about to return to the room, Kong Zhi called him again, "No matter what, I hope you can give me a chance to pursue you."

Xia Lunong simply didn't know what to say, nodded vaguely, and quickly fled into the room.

He didn't think about it in this way before, and his performance was also relatively slow.

Now that the window paper has been poked, looking back, every aspect is flawed.

Kong Zhi was such a solitary person, and they had lived together for so long, how could he think that they were just good friends?

Xia Lunong rested her head on her arm, looked at the ceiling for a long time, and finally sighed.

When he woke up the next day, there were two big black spots under his eyes and he looked very haggard.

Seeing Kong Zhi, his mood had stabilized, and he was not too shy. He just raised his hand and greeted the other party, "Good morning."

"Good morning." Kong Zhi said lightly, "The mouthwash has been prepared for you, and the face wash water is also placed outside. Do you like this temperature? Do you want it higher or lower tomorrow?"

"Ah?" Xia Lu woke up from her sleepiness when she heard him say this. She widened her eyes and turned her head left and right to look outside. Seeing that her two brothers were not there, she hurriedly took two steps forward, walked to Kong Zhi and lowered her voice, "I'm not a girl, there's no need to be so meticulous!"

Kong Zhi gently pushed him and asked him to go out and brush his teeth, "This is how you pursue someone, trying to make you feel warm."

"There's really no need to do this, this warmth is too terrible. I can't bear it." Xia Lunong rubbed her arms and emphasized again, "I'm not a girl, don't do this to me!"

"Really?"

Xia Lunong said firmly, "No."

Kong Zhi nodded, looked at him, and whispered, "Which one do you like? I'll try another way to pursue you."

Xia Lunong suddenly lost his temper.

Xia Lunong had been pursued by countless people since he was a child, and he had experienced all kinds of courting methods.

However, he really didn't know which one he liked.

He reiterated to Kong Zhi again that he didn't need to pursue him like a girl, he especially hated the kind of corny and abnormal things that didn't look normal.

Kong Zhi agreed.

Xia Huoqu and Yan Xinian came over soon.

Xia Huoqu found that the atmosphere between his brother and Kong Zhi had changed again. It was not as stiff as yesterday, and there was no atmosphere of good brothers. It looked a bit weird, but it made people unable to tell what was weird.

Xia Huoqu asked one more question, "What's going on with you? Can you explain it clearly?"

Xia Lunong played dumb, "Ah? What happened?"

His brother looked at him straightly.

Xia Lunong felt that he was seen through. He scratched his head and whispered, "Kong Zhi likes me and is pursuing me. I feel a little confused now and don't know how to respond."

Xia Huoqu asked, "Do you like him?"

"I can't explain it clearly." Xia Lunong whispered, "Actually, I thought about this question yesterday. It seems that we are indeed much closer than friends. If we break up this relationship, I will be reluctant, but if we are really together, I will feel weird."

He frowned and said, "I haven't considered the option of being with a boy before."

Xia Huoqu said, "You can think about it slowly. Being together may be a lifelong thing. It doesn't matter if you think about it for a while before answering."

"That's what I thought, too. I told him, and he said he wanted to pursue me." Xia Lunong said, "I've never imagined him pursuing someone."

Xia Huoqu said, "Now you can watch it directly."

Xia Lunong nodded, then looked at his brother, and belatedly reacted, "I thought you would object. Brother, why don't you object at all? You even gave us advice. Logically, shouldn't you hit a pair of birds with a stick?"

"You want me to hit a pair of birds with a stick?"

Xia Lunong shook her head without even thinking.

Xia Huoqu sneered, "We've all died once, what else can we ask for? In this world, I just hope you're safe and happy, and everything else can be put aside."

Xia Lunong didn't know what to say for a moment, so she hugged her brother, resting her chin on his shoulder, her face a little red.

Xia Huoqu let him hold her for a long time, with a smile in his eyes, "You are so old, why do you still like to act like a spoiled child?"

The atmosphere between Xia Lunong and Kong Zhi eased, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

At this time, they were finally leaving.

Early in the morning, the truck drove to the door of the house, and they loaded the prepared things into the truck.

Xia Lunong specially prepared a small notebook, and she would tick the box when she loaded an item into the truck, and she would breathe a sigh of relief when she was sure that nothing was left out.

"Brother, we will prepare for ten days this time, right?"

"Yes, according to the original plan, we will be back in ten days. If we can't make it in time, the White Building and the Property Management will help us manage the things in the base, so don't worry too much."

Xia Lunong said, "I'm not worried, but the plants and the small pepper trees in the field, especially the small pepper trees."

Xia Lunong looked at the pepper trees in the corner of the yard and felt like raising a child. This time he would be away for such a long time, and it was really not reassuring to hand the child over to someone else. Xia Huo

said, "If it doesn't work, there is Liao Cheng. He will help us take care of it. To be honest, you don't take Xia Huajiao with you? I think it really wants to go out with us."

"Brother, didn't you say we were going to a big city this time? There are so many dangers in big cities. If we take it out and don't keep an eye on it, what if it encounters danger? We are fast in beast form, so we can just run away. It's jumping around so fast, how can we

catch it in time?" Xia Huoqu had no objection, "You do a good job of comforting it yourself, and don't make any mistakes when the time comes?"

Xia Lunong was confident, "No problem, I've already told it, it "

Xia Huoqu was not optimistic and said, "I just saw that you coaxed it. It may not really understand why we are leaving this time, and it may not be able to wait that long."

Xia Lunong said, "Then I will talk to it again." Xia

Huoqu's judgment was right. Xia Lunong had communicated with Hua Jiaoshu. When they went out, Hua Jiaoshu still refused to give in. The tree root pulled the corner of Xia Lunong's clothes and refused to let him go.

That is to say, the tree did not cry. If the tree could cry, Hua Jiaoshu would have rolled on the ground and made a scene.

Xia Lunong experienced the difficulty of raising a child in advance.

Finally, Yan Xinian said, "Why don't you take him with you? If not, just leave him on the truck. As long as the truck is not lost, nothing will happen to the prickly ash tree." Kong

Zhi said calmly, "I'll help you keep an eye on it. It's there while I'm here."

Xia Lunong got angry and turned to glare at him, "Don't say that. Don't make a fuss!"

Xia Lunong looked particularly fierce, with her brows furrowed, and she looked a bit more frightening.

Kong Zhi paused for two seconds, "I know."

They finally took the prickly ash tree with them.

They drove five cars, with a total of thirty-seven people, divided into three teams. Among them, Ba Niu, Cong Lan, Luo Congqin, Zhang Shihai, Liao Quannan and Doctor Ou were all there, as well as several women.

Yan Xinian also brought the cannon and guns.

Xia Lunong could already feel from here that the atmosphere of this trip was different.

He was very uneasy.

Xia Huo said, "Don't scare yourself. We have rested for so long. Apart from anything else, we always have the ability to escape."

Xia Lunong rubbed her cheeks vigorously, "I know."

They drove very fast.

It is autumn outside now.

As we drove along, the surrounding scenery has changed, especially the leaves on both sides of the road, which have long turned yellow.

Many trees have lost their leaves, and there is a sense of autumn wind.

Xia Lunong is a plant power, and seeing this scene, he felt a little strange.

He often connected with plants, and now he could empathize with the plants' life process of withering and dormancy, which made him feel a little depressed.

They were already familiar with the scenery around the base. They had been out frequently in the past six months, and there was nothing new around them.

Xia Lunong kept looking into the distance.

It was not until the car had been driving for a day that he felt that the scenery around him had changed, and the area around them was no longer a place they were familiar with.

Yan Xinian explained, "This time we are going to a place far away, and it will take at least two days to drive. Generally speaking, we should go southwest. When you see the new birch mountain, you will probably have reached your destination."

"Are there no bases nearby? What if there is a base here that we haven't discovered, and they get there first and plunder all the supplies?"

Yan Xinian smiled, "Do you feel whether there is a new base nearby?"

Xia Lunong really felt it for a while, and tried to use his premonition. After feeling for a long time, he felt that there should be no new base in this direction. He felt that this trip would be very rewarding.

He told Yan Xinian his answer.

Yan Xinian said, "I don't think so either. Although we don't have your inspiration, we have been in the wild for a long time and often see all kinds of animals and plants. We can find out the situation nearby from some subtle traces."

Xia Lunong's eyes showed curiosity.

Yan Xinian said, "You can also look more during this trip. Let's see how we can find out all kinds of things from a technical perspective. Xiao Nong, you rely too much on your inspiration. This is not bad, but sometimes we need something else. If you want to become a powerful hunter, inspiration alone is not enough."

Xia Lunong nodded thoughtfully, turned around, and met Kong Zhi's eyes again.

Kong Zhi was looking at him, and Xia Lunong felt his heart beating a little faster.