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墨書 Inktalez
Roxy mistook a few fish in the water for water snakes and screamed in fright. Then, when Xin Yi jumped down, she saw Roxy's body, and after realizing the situation, Roxy called Xin Yi up with annoyance, saying she needed to get dressed. Xin Yi had no choice but to climb back onto the shore, soaking wet, and waited for Roxy to finish getting dressed. After a rustling sound, Roxy said, "Okay, you can come down now."
Xin Yi replied, "What do we need to go down for? Let's hurry and collect some firewood to take back; otherwise, they might get worried."
"Hmph, if I tell you to come down, then come down!" Roxy said angrily. "We should catch these fish and have grilled fish for dinner! Who told them to peek at me while I was bathing?"
Hearing this from Roxy, Xin Yi was taken aback. Weren't they just a few fish? Roxy had gone into their territory naked to bathe and was blaming them for peeking. Now she wanted to catch them to eat; it was absurd to accuse them without reason. However, she had indeed seen Roxy's body; would Roxy want to eat her too? Xin Yi shook her head with a wry smile at her own thoughts. She wasn't a fish; if Roxy really wanted to eat her... never mind, that was an absurd thought!
So Xin Yi found a long slender branch and sharpened one end with a knife to use as a tool for spearing fish. She jumped back into the water. At this moment, Roxy's face was still flushed, and she avoided eye contact with Xin Yi. Xin Yi didn't dare think too much about it now; she focused on spearing fish in the water. Before long, she had caught several fish. To her surprise, the wild fish in this jungle were quite plump. The two of them carried the fish and picked up some dry branches before following the stream back to their campsite.
Meanwhile, Yanming Shop Elder had set up a simple shack with the help of Topology and Xu Maogong. Since they wanted to lighten their load before entering the jungle, Xin Yi and the others hadn't prepared camping tents. Yanming Shop Elder used some branches and large banana leaves to create a place for overnight stay. The weather in the jungle was unpredictable and often rainy, so the banana leaf-roofed shack was perfect for sheltering from rain—essential for staying overnight in the jungle. At this time, Topology was digging a drainage ditch under Yanming Shop Elder's direction as a precaution against rain, creating a small ditch around the shack to ensure rainwater wouldn't flow inside.
When Topology saw Xin Yi and Roxy return—Xin Yi completely soaked—he teased, "Brother Xin, did you two go swimming? You're all wet!"
Xin Yi threw the firewood she was carrying onto the ground and laughed, "We saw some fish in the stream and caught a few to bring back. Tonight we can have grilled fish!"
At that moment, Yanming Shop Elder also noticed the fish Roxy was holding and exclaimed in surprise, "Bigfin Fish? You actually caught several Bigfin Fish? That's great! I haven't seen this kind of fish in years. I've heard it's now an endangered species; who would have thought you caught several here just for us to eat? Those so-called experts would be furious if they knew!"
Hearing there would be fish to eat made Topology very happy. He joked while smacking his lips, "Who cares about those experts? Eating this fish is research too! Maybe we can even find out if it cures any ailments—like hunger!" Although the Arab Nation doesn't eat scaleless fish, this type of Bigfin Fish clearly fell within their acceptable range since most of them practiced Islam. The Quran explicitly states that followers cannot eat pork or dead animals or scaleless fish like loaches; however, Xin Yi's Bigfin Fish didn't belong to those categories, so they could enjoy it.
The group built a fire in front of the shack and cleaned several Bigfin Fish in the stream before sitting around the fire. After salting the cleaned Bigfin Fish and skewering them on branches to roast over the fire, delicious aromas wafted through the air, making everyone hungry. Topology took his roasted fish first and began devouring it while praising its deliciousness, causing everyone else to laugh.
At this time, Xin Yi changed into clean clothes and placed her wet clothes by the fire to dry. Just as she sat down, Roxy handed her a roasted fish. Seeing Roxy's face flushed from the firelight made Xin Yi feel touched as she said, "You eat first; I'll roast one for myself."
Without hesitation, Roxy shoved a fish into her hands and started roasting another one herself. The taste of Bigfin Fish was indeed exquisite; Xin Yi enjoyed it immensely as well. At that moment, Xu Maogong took out two bottles of liquor; since it was a long night with no intention of sleeping, they might as well drink and sing under the moonlight. When Yanming Shop Elder saw there was alcohol available, he immediately brightened up—clearly someone who enjoyed drinking.
Except for Roxy and Xin Yi, who remained sober due to their reasons—Roxy couldn't handle such strong liquor while Xin Yi needed to stay alert because of unpredictable risks lurking in the jungle—the other three were already quite tipsy by then. As the organizer of this expedition, Xin Yi felt responsible for everyone's safety.
The Bonfire Feast continued until the full moon hung high in the sky, and everyone felt satisfied. Xin Yi arranged for himself and Topology to take shifts that night; it was necessary to have someone on duty while resting in the jungle at night. Xin Yi would take the first half of the night, and Topology would take the second half. Yanming Shop Elder sprinkled some herbal powder around the Shack to prevent snakes and insects from intruding and to repel mosquitoes, then he was the first to crawl into the Shack to rest. Xu Maogong and Topology also helped each other as they stumbled inside, and soon loud snores echoed from within the Shack.
It was only then that Xin Yi remembered that Roxy, being a girl, might find it inconvenient to rest in a Shack with several men. Feeling somewhat guilty, he said to Roxy: "I'm sorry, I should have set up another Shack. Why don't you rest by the fire? I'll keep an eye on the surroundings."
"It's fine, I'm not tired yet. I'll keep you company during your shift," Roxy replied.
So the two sat around the fire, but Xin Yi found himself at a loss for words with Roxy. The atmosphere was a bit dull, with only the sound of branches burning in the fire. Suddenly, Roxy sighed softly and said, "You're a good person."
"What?" Xin Yi sensed that Roxy might say something significant, so he pretended not to hear clearly and asked back. Although he knew that Roxy might have some ulterior motive for getting close to him during their interactions, he had not sent anyone to investigate or monitor her. Perhaps he just wanted to hear her say it herself; he couldn't pinpoint why he felt this way.
"Oh, it's nothing," Roxy quickly changed the subject. "Why don't you tell me your real purpose for coming to Taiwan? I can't believe you're really here for business."
"Hehe, you're quite clever," Xin Yi chuckled. "But I genuinely came here looking for some business opportunities. Of course, there might be some personal matters as well, but please forgive me for not being able to share those with you right now. Who doesn't have a few secrets of their own? Don't you agree?" His eyes held a meaningful gaze towards Roxy.
"Hehe, yes," Roxy sighed again, seemingly responding to Xin Yi, but more like talking to herself: "Who doesn't have a few secrets of their own?"
Both had their own thoughts and motives, making it difficult for their conversation to flow pleasantly. After exchanging some trivial small talk, Roxy leaned against a tree trunk and dozed off. Eventually, Xin Yi began to feel drowsy as well; he had been on the move since last night without stopping. He thought about standing up to stretch and stay awake but feared waking up Roxy. So he remained seated, forcing himself to stay alert. Thanks to the herbal powder that Yanming Shop Elder had spread around to deter snakes and insects, there were no pests bothering them, and gradually, Xin Yi began to feel drowsy.
An unusual sound startled Xin Yi, waking him up. He opened his eyes and saw that not far away, Roxy was facing off against a light brown leopard. The leopard was relatively small, about one meter long, with beautiful cloud-like spots covering its fur. Despite its size, its stance and bared long canine teeth indicated it was a fierce carnivorous predator. The low growl that had awakened Xin Yi came from its mouth. At that moment, Roxy maintained a vigilant posture, slightly bending forward with her body tilted and her eyes fixed on the leopard just two or three meters away from her. She held a Triangular Bayonet, gripping it in a very professional manner—clearly indicative of someone who had undergone rigorous military training. The standoff between her and the leopard suggested that while the leopard appeared impatient—its crouched position and bent hind legs signaling an imminent attack—it was also wary of the glinting blade in her hand.
At first glance upon waking up, Xin Yi intended to rush over to help but decided against it after observing Roxy's posture and expression. Although she looked alert, there was no sign of panic; instead, she exuded confidence. It seemed she could handle the small leopard on her own. Curious about her skills, he chose to remain seated while slightly squinting his eyes to watch the standoff between her and the leopard quietly. He discreetly reached for two throwing knives in case he needed to intervene if things turned dire for Roxy.
At that moment, Roxy glanced over at Xin Yi, noticing he seemed undisturbed by the commotion. She then took two steps back before suddenly turning and sprinting deeper into the jungle. Her speed was impressive; she covered three or four meters with each leap. It seemed that Xin Yi had indeed not misjudged her; not only did she possess skills in martial arts (Kung Fu), but she was also quite adept at it. Seeing her flee made the leopard spring into action as well; it leaped after her with agility, and both quickly disappeared from sight beyond where Xin Yi could see them.
I'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that.
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