She instinctively grabbed the old man's wrist, wanting to check if he was injured.
The old man was pleased with her concern and explained, "It's been tamed, but don't worry, this little beast will only obey me here."
He allowed Shen Qingqing to lift his sleeve, revealing the wound on his arm.
The wound was small and shallow, with no signs of poisoning.
Shen Qingqing wasn't surprised by this; the old man himself often tested poisons on himself, and his body was already full of them.
His blood was incredibly toxic.
For the bloodworms, it was a great supplement.
"You need to be moderate," she warned.
The old man nodded, unconcerned. "I know. I won't let myself bleed to death. I wasn't finished speaking. I discovered this little fellow has another very useful advantage."
"What is it?"
"As long as it smells someone's blood, it can track that person no matter where they go."
The old man had originally intended to dissect the little fellow for research, but upon discovering this ability, he became reluctant.
What would happen after they returned was another matter, but for now, it was exactly what they needed.
Shen Qingqing hummed. "So, you plan to raise it then."
"Mm, after we get back, I'll study this little guy properly." But for now, the old man decided to extract every bit of the little worm's utility!
Shen Qingqing shook her head and cautioned, "Be careful. It feeds on blood. Don't let it become addicted."
There were instances where those who raised insects were harmed by them, mostly with insignificant little bugs that became addicted to being fed.
The old man naturally knew this. "Don't worry, I have it under control."
He was currently doting on the little worm and immediately ran back to his territory to study it.
By evening, the team still hadn't returned, and Shen Qingqing began to worry. She took out her phone from her backpack. Although it was in a waterproof bag, it still had power and was usable, but it had no signal.
Now, it could only serve as a watch.
It was already half past five.
Fu Jingshu had said before he left that he would be back by five to eat a meal with her.
Shen Qingqing stood in the direction they had left, watching for nearly thirty minutes, but no one had returned. She gripped her phone and made a decision.
Another ten minutes. If he still wasn't back, she would go find him.
Less than five minutes later, someone came running back in a hurry from not far away. It was the foraging team, returning one after another.
However, their expressions were panicked, and they avoided looking at Shen Qingqing.
She scanned the crowd, not seeing the familiar figure. "Where is he?"
The others exchanged glances, nudging each other, but no one stepped forward to speak.
"Where is he?!"
Her voice turned completely cold, laced with frost and sharpness.
The crowd fell silent.
"He and Ai Qi fell down the slope together."
Zhao Qian emerged from the crowd. He looked truly disheveled, his clothes dusty and wrinkled, and his face streaked with dirt from unknown sources.
Shen Qingqing asked coldly, "And you all just came back."
The crowd felt guilty under her interrogation.
The slope was a bit steep, and they didn't dare to go down.
Zhao Qian's face was filled with remorse. "We didn't bring any ropes, so we couldn't get down. We came back to get ropes..."
Shen Qingqing took a deep breath, turned, and reached for her backpack, preparing to leave.
Zhao Qian quickly stopped her. "Don't go. Before we came back, we thought we heard bear growls. That's not something we can handle..."
"Move aside."
Shen Qingqing's expression was unreadable.
"You..."
"Move aside."
Shen Qingqing's cold gaze fell on him. "I don't want to say it a third time."
Her gaze was incredibly intimidating. Zhao Qian's actions preceded his thoughts; by the time he reacted, he had already unconsciously stepped aside, watching the graceful figure disappear into the distance.
"What's wrong?"
King and the old man emerged from the cave, unaware of what had happened.
Zhao Qian and the others stammered, not knowing how to explain.
The two also sensed something was amiss, but by the time they understood, Shen Qingqing had already vanished. The old man was furious and berated the group fiercely.
King also unleashed his sharp tongue, making sarcastic remarks that left the group unable to lift their heads.
Afterward, the two went to find Mr. Z, asking him to make arrangements, mobilize some personnel, and search for Shen Qingqing together to help her find Fu Jingshu.
Led by King and the old man, a large group set off.
...
Meanwhile, Ai Qi slowly regained consciousness and found herself in a cave. The memories of before she fainted returned. She had thought she was going to die when she fell down the slope.
But before she lost consciousness, she seemed to see someone saving her...
Footsteps sounded at the cave entrance. She looked with apprehension and saw the familiar figure. The joy in her heart was overwhelming, almost overflowing.
"Brother Fu..."
Fu Jingshu held a bundle of branches in his hands, his clothes still dripping. He silently put down the branches, gathered them, and lit them.
Once the flames stabilized, he began to wring out his clothes.
He wrung them with great force, water trickling down and pooling on the ground, only to be absorbed by the earth moments later.
Ai Qi also tried to wring out her clothes, but she lacked the strength. Moreover, as soon as she moved, the cold wind blew through her already soaked clothes, making her shiver.
She gave up and crept closer to the fire, trying to warm herself. Although her clothes were still wet, at least her body could be warmer.
After wringing out his clothes, Fu Jingshu stood up and went outside.
"Brother Fu, where are you going?"
She asked hurriedly.
Fu Jingshu did not answer and left directly.
Ai Qi's eyes drooped with disappointment. Her mind wandered, wondering if he had left.
If the person who fell with him had been the beautiful sister, he wouldn't have been so indifferent, but would have held her close to keep her warm.
Soon, footsteps sounded at the cave entrance again.
She quickly looked up and saw Fu Jingshu returning. His tall figure stopped not far from her, and with a wave of his hand, several green fruits were tossed over.
She caught them and took a bite.
Her mouth was filled with a sweet and sour taste, the juice overflowing. They were incredibly delicious.
She closed her eyes in satisfaction. "These are the most delicious fruits I've ever eaten."
Fu Jingshu looked up at her, his expression a little strange.
These were just ordinary fruits, not even as good as the ones he had picked by the sea for his wife. Why were they the most delicious fruits?
Ai Qi was also a young lady from a wealthy family, accustomed to the best of everything. Now, she was so satisfied with these common fruits...
She must be... unwell.
He withdrew his gaze, his heart beginning to yearn for his wife.
She must be terribly worried about his disappearance.
He didn't know how much effort it would take to appease her when they returned.
He rubbed his dishevelled hair, feeling a tinge of annoyance, but his heart was full. Apart from worrying about his wife's anger, all that remained was longing.
Over there, Ai Qi finished her fruit and looked at him shyly.
Fu Jingshu, who noticed her subtle movements, said, "If you have something to say, say it."
"I, I want to dry my clothes..."
Under the firelight, her originally pale face was slightly flushed.
Of course, she didn't mean to dry them like this, but by taking them off. However, the thought of that scene made her too embarrassed to even look up.
Fu Jingshu suddenly stood up and walked towards the outside of the cave.