Xiao Cheng left his words unfinished, believing that the astute Meng Jingwei could guess his meaning.
Meng Jingwei paused for a moment, realizing there was no better option. She agreed, "...Alright."
At the brink of life and death, what room was there for squeamishness?
Survival was the best outcome.
"But..." she hesitated, voicing her concerns. "You're cooperating with Anthony. Now that you're saving me, aren't you afraid Anthony will get rid of you?"
"Just take care of yourself."
Without further explanation, Xiao Cheng sat up and crawled out of the narrow single tent.
Indeed, there was a cooperation with Anthony.
The sole objective of their collaboration—Qing Muye!
After he left, Meng Jingwei placed her backpack inside the sleeping bag, covered herself with the ultra-thin blanket, and made it look like she was inside.
Then, she got up and exited the sleeping bag.
The environment of the Hidden Tribe was exceptional, with a clear sky dotted with sparse stars. She could faintly see Xiao Cheng still sitting by the campfire.
However, the campfire had long since died out.
In the darkness, their eyes met for a moment before Meng Jingwei went to Xiao Cheng's tent.
Xiao Cheng was still waiting for Kang Zi's shift handover. She couldn't openly enter Xiao Cheng's sleeping bag while Kang Zi was on duty.
They had just entered the deep mountains today, and a heavy rain had started after nightfall.
After the damp weather, snakes, insects, rats, and ants would emerge.
In the deep mountains, these flora and fauna posed extreme dangers. A single bite could be life-threatening.
After tonight, when they set up camp again, they could find other ways to spend the night.
Meng Jingwei went into Xiao Cheng's tent. Not long after she lay down, another voice sounded from outside.
"You go sleep, I'll take watch," Kang Zi said to him.
"It's alright, I'm not tired," Xiao Cheng politely declined.
Inside the tent, Meng Jingwei heard Xiao Cheng's words and felt a pang of guilt.
When she had agreed to Xiao Cheng's proposal, she had been hesitant, wondering if he would take advantage of her situation.
Yet now, she was sleeping in his tent, and he refused to join her.
It was solely to give her privacy.
Outside, Kang Zi and Xiao Cheng chatted for a long time.
Kang Zi repeatedly urged him to rest, and Xiao Cheng, not wanting to arouse suspicion, had no choice but to return to his own tent.
In the pitch-black night, the low chirping of insects and birds, along with the rustling sound of leaves brushed by the breeze, filled the air.
The moment Xiao Cheng unzipped the tent, Meng Jingwei shifted her body to the side.
He slipped into the tent, quickly zipped it up, and lay down beside Meng Jingwei, a small distance between them.
"Sleep quickly, it's getting late," Meng Jingwei whispered, her voice barely audible.
"Mm," Xiao Cheng replied and slowly closed his eyes.
However, Xiao Cheng was not someone who could remain unmoved, especially with Meng Jingwei beside him, sharing the same tent. His heart pounded erratically, filled with unease, yet he forcefully suppressed all the restless stirrings within him.
Three hours later.
Xiao Cheng's eyes snapped open, sensing the bright surroundings. His heart tightened.
But when he realized Meng Jingwei was no longer beside him, the tension in his heart eased. He got up and exited the tent.
Outside the tent, there was no one.
He looked around and noticed Meng Jingwei's tent was moving. In concern, he called out, "Xiao Weiwei?!"
His excessive worry made his voice somewhat hoarse.
"I'm fine, just packing up."
Inside the tent, Meng Jingwei looked at the two knife marks on the ultra-thin blanket, her heart sinking further.
She knew they would make a move, but she hadn't expected them to act so swiftly.
"Anthony? Kang Zi?" Xiao Cheng called out their names but received no response for a long time.
Meng Jingwei replied, "They went to explore the surroundings and scout the path."
As she spoke, she emerged from the tent, observing the footprints beside the tent on the soft ground, still damp from the rain...