I knew Peggy had used a plant with an anesthetic toxin to prick me, and a sense of helplessness surged within me, but I was powerless. When I woke up again, it was already the next morning. The others were still asleep, and everything in the cave remained the same, except Peggy's grassy nest was empty, and the grass and animal skins felt bone-chillingly cold.
She had really left!
I quickly got up, waking everyone and questioning them about Peggy's whereabouts, but they were all clueless and puzzled about what had happened.
"Little Wei Ge, don't worry. Maybe she just went to look for food in the morning," Li Lin tried to comfort me.
I shook my head, eager to go out and search. However, Wang Qin suddenly said, "Wei Ge, I might know where she went. Last night when I got up to relieve myself, I saw her..."
"Last night, when I got up to pee, I saw Peggy jump down from there. I thought I was still half asleep and dreaming..." Wang Qin pointed towards the depths of the cave, describing to us.
Following her pointing finger, we discovered it was the pool of spring water in the cave.
"Peggy jumped in from here?" This discovery shocked us; we hadn't expected things to turn out this way.
I walked to the edge of the spring, looking down at the clear flowing water, and a sense of awe surged within me. The pool was not large, probably only enough to accommodate one or two people, resembling a slightly larger ancient well. The water, although clear, still had a blurry quality. I recalled Peggy's previous actions; she might have deciphered the Japanese characters on the wall. I was unaware of the exact content of the message left by the woman from the island nation. Now was not the time to dwell on these thoughts. I took a few steps back, removed my clothes, and prepared to investigate.
Before entering the water, I made thorough preparations. The external temperature was extremely low, the cave had a constant fire, yet the temperature was still only a few degrees, and the spring water was close to zero degrees. Every year, adventurers from around the world die in cold water regions. I felt that the water had a swift current, and once I jumped in, I might be swept away, making it difficult to return.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
I did some warm-up exercises, found a linen rope to tie around my waist, and prepared to jump in.
Su Jie and others tried to dissuade me, advising against it as there was a risk of the linen rope breaking. However, I insisted on going. If I didn't go down to investigate, my heart wouldn't be at peace. With a splash, I jumped in.
The underwater world was extremely cold, even though the spring water was clear, it still appeared hazy. Vaguely, I noticed narrow channels around me, flowing downstream, but I dared not continue.
The water flow was too fast, and I was quickly swept away downstream. Returning would be difficult even with the rope; I was certain that if I swam a little more, even with the rope, I wouldn't be able to come back.
In the end, I returned empty-handed.
That day, my mood was heavy. I went out hunting during the day, but it was aimless wandering with no gain. When I returned at night, Su Jie and others, seeing me return empty-handed, understood that my mood was not good, each consoling me in their own ways. I tried to smile for them, then lay in my grassy nest. The longing for Peggy made it difficult for me to fall asleep, and suddenly, I felt something in the corner – a letter!
Opening it, it turned out to be Peggy's handwriting. The paper was yellowed, but the writing was fresh. Peggy's handwriting was graceful and beautiful; she had told me she had lived in Singapore for many years. The letter was not long, but after reading it, my eyes were moist.
"My dear Zheng, I'm sorry for deceiving you. In fact, I'm not British; I'm German. My father is a German explorer. The plane we saw on the beach was left by my father. I came to this island to trace my father's footsteps and to reveal the astonishing secrets unknown to others. Please don't worry about me, and don't blame me; it's my choice and destiny! Don't look for me; you won't find me. Coming here recklessly will only cost you your life!"
"I don't know what I will encounter next, but I know that if I return alive, I will definitely appear in front of you with a bunch of lilies. At that time, please kiss me passionately in the intense fragrance of lilies! Finally, I hope you and the other girls can quickly make a bamboo raft to leave this island. This island is far more dangerous than you can imagine! Don't venture deep into the jungle, and make sure to leave before spring arrives! I saw fragments in my father's notes, mentioning a terrifying bloodshed during the spring here..."
"Wait for me in the outside world, okay?"
Towards the end, Peggy's handwriting became rushed and sloppy, stopping abruptly, and there were a few teardrops on the paper.