Chapter 55: The Future

Actually, in every rainforest, there are bound to be clearing patches.

Yet I understood that there must also be hidden spots. And right now, we were close to this little stream, the space beneath us even feeling somewhat open thanks to this massive tree.

Naturally, dotted with some delicate vines and various small plants, our visibility wasn't overly exposed. But I was deeply grateful that, for the time being, we hadn't encountered any other dangers.

In the firelight, I looked at the two of them, the atmosphere feeling somewhat suffocating!

At the time, I had actually hesitated, but because that fellow who attacked Huang Jianfen had been relentlessly hunting us down, we happened to reach this place completely exhausted. Visibility in the rainforest is limited, and many areas are blocked by vegetation. Just like last night, someone might suddenly leap out to attack us, so I had to remain cautious.

However, having successfully knocked that fellow down, my current thought was that while there was no direct place to hide here, as long as Qu Xiang and I kept watch separately, we would at least be aware of an enemy approaching. After all, I knew that even if we found a secluded spot, if someone wanted to attack us, we wouldn't be able to escape.

"Actually, we haven't reached that point yet, so you don't need to worry!" I knew it would take time for them to adapt, but I had to tell them the truth: "If Ah Fen wakes up, we must do everything we can to head toward the waterfall, or find a place with slightly higher ground!"

"Mm-hmm, understood!" Unexpectedly, Lan Fang was the one who replied, looking at me as she said: "We truly should find a place with our backs against a solid surface, so even if there is danger, we don't have to worry about being attacked from all sides, and it would make running away much easier!"

"You are very clever!" Seeing that Qu Xiang remained silent, I praised her sincerely and voiced my own thoughts: "If it were the first couple of days, I wouldn't even have considered where to stay, and would have been thinking only of running away. But after Ah Fen came over last night and we faced such danger, I realize that accidents can truly happen at any moment here!"

"Then what should we do?" Qu Xiang, usually so sharp, seemed bewildered at this moment.

I even wondered if she had been poisoned, but seeing her large, fluttering eyes, I knew her mind was completely clear. I couldn't help looking at Lan Fang, and to my surprise, I found her deep in thought as well. Stirred inwardly, I asked, "Does Sister Fang have any good suggestions?"

"What kind of place is this? We are completely unfamiliar with it, and even if we have this idea, where are we supposed to find such a place?" True to being the boss of several stores, Lan Fang's perspective at that moment was quite unique: "Anything we can think of, Peng Qian and his people, or even that Brother Wen's gang, will certainly think of as well!"

"Since that's the case, and others already have the advantage, what do we do? Could it be that we really have no chance left?" Qu Xiang's gaze went slightly blank; she wasn't putting on an act this time—evidently, her mindset was still relatively simple!

"A chance? Perhaps there is one! Of course, the probability isn't high either!" I stared at the fire in the hearth, its glow reflecting red in my eyes as my expression gradually turned resolute: "We want to survive, don't we? So no matter how great the difficulties are, we must find a way!"

"Ah Jing is right!" Lan Fang supported me strongly at this moment, her face tinged with a measure of grit. She cast aside her hesitation, especially upon seeing Qu Xiang's state, and stated directly: "I'm not in the best shape right now, but I'll try my best not to add to your troubles. Whenever you need me, just tell me what to do!"

I was quite surprised, even snapping back to my senses. Achieving such success at a young age meant she was extraordinary by no mere coincidence. Hearing her say this, I looked at the two of them and suddenly smiled: "As we search along the way while staying on guard, if we truly can't find anywhere, we'll just have to wrong you both!"

"Wrong us how?" Qu Xiang reacted the fastest, looking at me with surprise as she asked first.

Seeing that Lan Fang was also much more relaxed and had finished her portion of food, I smiled and said: "If we manage to survive by sheer luck and end up unable to find a way out, we'll simply have to live our lives right here. Wouldn't that mean dragging you both down to live with me?"

"Get lost......" Before Qu Xiang could process it, Lan Fang caught my drift, clearly understanding what I meant.

Yet this time, she didn't get angry at all. Instead, a rare smile graced her lips, her expression carrying an air of playful reproach: "Things are so difficult right now, and you're still acting so unserious?"

"Pfft! You really are itching for a beating......" Seeing Lan Fang's reaction, Qu Xiang was slightly stunned at first. But she was naturally no fool and grasped the situation instantly.

Surprised to see that Lan Fang wasn't angry, she didn't have time to dwell on it. Driven perhaps by her inherent kindness, and wanting to prevent me from accidentally offending Lan Fang, she still gave me a contemptuous look, complete with a ferocious expression: "I'll teach you a lesson once we get out of here!"

"Alright, hahahahaha......" Seeing the two of them somewhat relaxed, my own heart lightened, and I naturally brushed off the awkwardness with a hearty laugh.

To my mind, even though I had no idea what tonight or tomorrow would bring, I was truly glad to have shared this rare moment of lightheartedness with them.

If time could just freeze at this exact moment, I am sure there would be much joy to be found.

Yet I knew that in this rainforest, everything held infinitely unknown possibilities. Inadvertently glancing up at the tree to catch the faint silhouette of Huang Jianfen, and reflecting that all things in this world are ultimately fleeting, a wave of poignant emotion naturally arose within me.

"Actually, it's nothing much. If we can make it out alive, we'll naturally return to our normal lives. But if misfortune strikes and living itself becomes uncertain, worrying too much right now is entirely meaningless."

To our surprise, Lan Fang spoke up quietly. Though her gaze seemed somewhat drifting and hazy, she was clearly speaking to Qu Xiang while subtly hinting to me. She was speaking from the heart, no doubt; the twists and turns of the past few days were enough to transform anyone's perspective.

I didn't reply immediately. Seeing Qu Xiang looking at me, I couldn't guess what was going on in her mind, but looking at Lan Fang's demeanor, I understood that this series of trials had allowed her to see through many things.

Although I knew danger lurked everywhere and the future remained unknown, I didn't want to make the atmosphere overly heavy either, so I gently steered the conversation back: "You two must still be careful. We still don't know what happened to Ah Fen and the others. If Peng Qian and his gang are unharmed, they certainly won't let us go!"

"Things are already this terrible, so there's no need to worry about anything else anymore!" Lan Fang's lips curved upward slightly, her eyes seeming to gleam with a brilliant light in the firelight!