Chapter 47: No Joke

Hearing me say this, Ou Xiang and Lan Fang not only exchanged glances, but even wore expressions tinged with sorrow.

At that moment, instead of pondering the meaning behind my words, Lan Fang looked at Ou Xiang with a trace of unease. She naturally understood that I was annoyed with her, and therefore hoped Ou Xiang would take the initiative to speak with me about whatever was on my mind.

"Is there truly no other way?" Ou Xiang seemed to grasp Lan Fang's intent, yet when she looked at me, she put on an almost pitiful expression. She clearly knew my personality inside out, making this tactic the most effective one against me.

It was much like a starving person who, desperate to survive, would still have to pick up and drink a cup of poisoned wine even while knowing full well what it was.

I was well aware of Ou Xiang's routine, but facing her like this, I really couldn't harden my heart. Yet, seeing the appearance of the two women, a slight ripple stirred in my heart, and I deliberately said in a flat tone, "Actually... it's not that there's no way at all!"

"What? ... A-Jing, you, you have a way?" Hearing me say this, Ou Xiang naturally couldn't help but look at me with joyful surprise. "What do you need me to do?"

Seeing that even Lan Fang was looking at me with eager anticipation, and thinking of the notion in my mind, I suddenly relaxed. Under normal circumstances, I would have barely been able to hold back my laughter. Though a somewhat eerie expression still lingered on my face, I deliberately looked at the two of them and said, "This could actually be considered an excellent method!"

"Tell me! What kind of method is it? Can I help?" It seemed Lan Fang was also starving to the extreme. Though she initially tried her utmost to hold back, the temptation brought by food clearly forced her to speak up involuntarily.

I stared intently at Ou Xiang, and then shifted my gaze to Lan Fang. "Are you both certain you can help?"

"Of course. Although my legs are inconvenient, as long as it's something I can do with my hands, I will definitely do my utmost to help..." Looking at my calm expression, Lan Fang felt a flutter of nervousness and even a vague sense of unease in her heart. Yet, seeing my unblinking stare, she still mustered up her courage and replied.

"I have a short blade here. Do you remember the person we threw into the water last night...?" Even though I found it amusing myself, the matter was far too cruel. Even if I had the heart to tease them, the moment the words left my mouth, a sudden bitterness welled up inside me.

"You... get lost!" Catching the expression in the corners of my eyes, Ou Xiang realized I was just joking. Lan Fang, however, clearly did not see it that way. Her body even began to tremble slightly, and as she looked at my previously calm expression, her face suddenly turned pale. "You bastard..."

Indeed, I knew that for ordinary women, this joke of mine was a bit too much. Seeing Lan Fang's tense and angry expression, regardless of whether she understood my dark humor, I didn't feel angry or provoked. Instead, watching her reaction, the thought in my heart instantly began to ferment.

"What? Getting worked up already? Or did you think we could make it through our current plight without eating anything?" Although I didn't deliberately pull a long face, I kept my expression deadpan because I remembered Brother Wen's words. I looked straight at Lan Fang and said, "For the sake of survival, as long as it keeps us alive, shouldn't we eat meat?"

"You..." Lan Fang was clearly driven mad by me. Her body trembled incessantly as she pointed a tense finger at me, momentarily rendered speechless.

"A-A-Jing, you... you can't possibly be thinking of..." Ou Xiang had been acting very composed all along, but upon seeing Lan Fang's agitation and my unchanging expression, she actually started to believe it. "How could you..."

"Why not? This isn't a joke; when people are starving enough, they'll even eat dirt!" I watched Ou Xiang's horrified expression and Lan Fang's near-collapse.

Thinking of the tense atmosphere of the past few days, I knew that if I really let them misunderstand, it would surely leave a rift in their hearts. Thus, I couldn't help bursting out into a chuckle: "It's a blessing to have meat to eat now. Once you're on the verge of starvation, you'll know what regret feels like!"

"You scared me to death! Why are you so bad..." Seeing my playful expression, Ou Xiang naturally recovered her wits and realized I was just toying with them. She couldn't help signaling for Lan Fang to ease her mind first, and then reached out to swat the back of my head. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?!"

"If I die, can you guys survive?" I laughed out loud as I looked at them, not caring in the least whether Lan Fang understood the joke or not. This was probably the first time I had genuinely laughed in days. Though a heavy weight still pressed on my heart, my entire being seemed somewhat lighter.

Seeing that Ou Xiang finally caught on, I couldn't resist teasing her further: "To be honest, if we truly can't find any food, you'll understand in the future whether what I just said was cruel or simply the truth!"

"Get lost! Go die! With you around, even if Sister Fang and I starve to death, we'll never eat that kind of meat!" Seeing Ou Xiang and me laughing and joking around, and watching Ou Xiang's inability to hold back her smile, a flicker of envy actually flashed across Lan Fang's eyes. Ou Xiang, seemingly oblivious to Lan Fang's expression, didn't forget to give me another gentle shove!

"Alright, alright. It's rare to have a moment to relax. You two rest for a bit; I'm going to walk around and keep an eye on Ah Fen!" Seeing Lan Fang remain silent, I didn't dwell on it or overthink anything. I simply gave a light instruction to the two of them and climbed down the tree once more!

After my mood relaxed, my spirits felt much better. Holding my sharpened stick and trekking pole, I continued to wander around the surrounding area. This time, I was even more cautious than before, constantly memorizing the surrounding terrain. Not only was I searching for food, but I also had to guard against unknown dangers.

Of course, I didn't venture too far, but I didn't retrace my initial path either. Since I had spotted birds from the tree earlier, I firmly believed that there had to be bird nests in this rainforest. Although these birds could fly, they were no match for our ability to raid their nests!

Praying that my luck was finally changing, I carefully kept scanning the treetops. Whether it was because my sincerity had moved the heavens and earth, after walking a certain distance, I actually spotted two bird nests high up in a gigantic banyan tree!

Gazing at the height of those nests, I couldn't help drawing a sharp breath inward. Amidst this primeval rainforest, I appeared so insignificant. Yet, in order to survive, I had no choice but to take this risk. Tucking away my trekking pole and securing my sharpened stick, I nimbly gripped the tree trunk with both hands and began climbing steadily upward.

The banyan tree possessed remarkably resilient wood. Even though the two nests were spaced some distance apart, the thickness of the branches where they rested could basically support my weight. Naturally, I remained extremely careful, terrified that my swaying might cause whatever was inside the nests to tumble down.

I had no idea what kind of birds built these nests, but as I drew closer and closer, a wave of nervous tension inevitably welled up in my heart.