Xu Xiaorong couldn't wait on the other side, anxiously gazing into the distance, her heart filled with impatience.

Meanwhile, on our side, the fish quickly cooked, and Su Jie and I enjoyed the delicious meal, savoring the aroma of the fish. Su Jie, while eating, chatted and laughed with me, emitting charming laughter that echoed far across the expansive beach.

While Xu Xiaorong waited anxiously, Qianyi and Hu Yijian were still nowhere to be seen. As she watched us relishing the food on the other side, regret started to creep into her heart.

"Did I make a mistake?" she couldn't help but think, and a tinge of jealousy mixed in her gaze towards Su Jie. "The one who should be enjoying delicious food over there and happily chatting with that smelly loser should be me."

Xu Xiaorong suddenly realized her thoughts and was startled.

Lost in her tangled thoughts, feeling agitated and almost reaching the point of unbearable frustration, a rustling sound came from the edge of the woods.

Xu Xiaorong was overjoyed, knowing that Hu Yijian and the others had returned.

Sure enough, Hu Yijian and Qianyi emerged from the woods. They appeared somewhat disheveled, especially Hu Yijian, whose face was swollen with a large bump. Xu Xiaorong was puzzled, "Hu Yijian, what happened to your face?"

"Ah, don't mention it. Unlucky, I accidentally took a tumble, and my face hit a tree, causing it to swell."

"Alright, be careful. Did you guys... catch anything?" Xu Xiaorong looked at the empty-handed Hu Yijian and Qianyi, already sensing that things might not be good, but couldn't help asking.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"I caught a few beetles. I heard these beetle proteins are rich," Hu Yijian said somewhat awkwardly, quickly pulling out two dead bamboo beetles from his bag.

Xu Xiaorong took a look and was momentarily stunned, then blurted out, "You're this old, not a child anymore, why are you bringing back bugs? And only two? Can this fill our stomachs?"

"Miss Xiaorong, don't be angry. It's just bad luck on our part. Earlier, Brother Yijian got beaten up by a magnificent beast, and then he fell on the way out, affecting our luck. Let's make do with what we have for lunch, and we'll definitely have a good meal tonight!" Qianyi quickly consoled Xu Xiaorong.

Xu Xiaorong sighed, didn't say anything, and the three of them started scavenging around. They roasted the few crabs and two bamboo beetles that Xu Xiaorong had caught in the morning.

This meager amount of food was barely enough for three people, and Hu Yijian was particularly quick-handed, constantly snatching the food.

After finishing our meal, Su Jie and I continued to savor the delicacies on our side.

Smelling the aroma of the grilled fish and watching us enjoy our meal with relish, Xu Xiaorong couldn't help but touch her stomach. She began to miss the time when she had a full meal with me earlier.

However, she quickly gritted her teeth, muttered to herself in a low voice, "Endure it, Xu Xiaorong, you can do it. Rescue will come soon. Don't go begging that creepy guy! Hu Yijian can't keep having bad luck in the evening, right?"

It seemed that Xu Xiaorong still harbored some hope for Hu Yijian.

What a naive girl.

I didn't know what Xu Xiaorong was thinking, but seeing the three of them looking at us with eyes full of longing yet hesitating to approach and ask for food in a comical manner, I felt extremely pleased.

"Su Jie, you really know how to lift my spirits! I'm in a much better mood now!" I smiled at Su Jie.

"Hehe, feeling better? Then let's continue walking. Don't keep staring at Miss Xu over there. When you came over, your eyes never left that girl. Are you afraid you've fallen for her?" Su Jie teased, her voice tinged with sarcasm.

"How could I like her? This little girl looks down on me. I just want to see her embarrassed." I shook my head helplessly, casually explained, and then stood up, heading towards the other end of the beach. Yesterday, Xu Xiaorong and I walked along the west beach for a while and found a damaged suitcase.

Now I wanted to explore the east beach and see if I could discover something else.