After voicing her biggest concern, Qin Ruoshuang looked at him earnestly. She needed an answer. This would determine how she and Anya would get along moving forward.
"Well, Anya might look down on me," Zhang Liu said with a nod, acknowledging Qin Ruoshuang's feelings. He continued, "Back in school, she'd often pay me to run errands for her and then laugh at me for being so money-hungry."
Qin Ruoshuang didn't say anything, just lightly bit her lip and stayed quiet. In her view, paying a classmate to do things for you was already a form of school bullying.
"But Anya tipped me generously. Over the past two years, it's been almost 50,000 yuan," Zhang Liu said with a smile. "That money has covered my two younger sisters' tuition and fees these past few years."
"You're paying for your sisters' tuition? Where are your parents?" Qin Ruoshuang felt a twinge of disdain when she saw Zhang Liu smile while talking about the money. But when he mentioned using it for his sisters' education, her intuition told her there was more to the story.
"My parents passed away from cancer when I was a freshman in high school. We spent all our family's money and took on a lot of debt. It's just me and my two younger sisters now. I was only able to keep studying thanks to the school's help," Zhang Liu explained briefly after a moment's hesitation.
"A kindness is remembered forever. At first, Anya didn't pay me anything. Later, when she found out about my family..." Zhang Liu started to defend Anya, but he was interrupted by her voice from behind.
"I'm full! Zhang Liu, what are you two whispering about?" Anya said, patting her stomach with a smile as she stood up from the foam board and walked quickly toward them.
Faced with this, Qin Ruoshuang wanted to comfort Zhang Liu, but seeing him walk toward Anya with a smile, she could only purse her lips and swallow her words. It was Anya who had helped Zhang Liu with money, not her.
At just 1.53 meters tall and petite, Anya couldn't eat much no matter how hard she tried. When Zhang Liu and Qin Ruoshuang sat down to continue their lunch, only a small portion of the coconut meat had been eaten. Later, when Qin Ruoshuang couldn't eat any more either, Zhang Liu, under their watchful eyes, forced himself to finish all the coconut meat.
After their simple lunch, Zhang Liu began sharing the plans for the future he'd been thinking about all morning.
"When we went looking for caves this morning, I was also thinking about a lot of things," he began. "Based on the survival videos and novels I've seen, our priorities right now are shelter, water, fire, food, and an escape plan."
"We've got a start on shelter and water. I found a cave over there that's suitable for living in for now. There's a fist-sized puddle nearby. I emptied it earlier, and I'll check how fast it refills when we get back. The water's fresh but a bit bitter, probably from rock minerals. I'll drink only that tonight to make sure it's safe for short-term use."
"Fire's a bit tricky. I don't know how to make fire by rubbing sticks together—I only know the basics."
"For food, since we're by the sea and have coconuts, I'll focus on coconut meat for carbs. For protein and fat, I'll try fishing by the shore. In the future, I'll see if there's anything useful in the forest."
"For now, I don't plan to go into the forest. Within the next ten days, there's a good chance of rescue. If no one comes after that, we'll need to think long-term and start exploring forest resources."
"The first step is to climb the highest mountain over there to confirm if this is really an island. If it's just endless forest, it's not some pirate setup—maybe it's an undeveloped wilderness. We could cross the forest and find a tourist spot or something."
"And if it really is an island?" Anya asked.
"Then we aim to build a big ship to sail out and make a final push," Zhang Liu replied.
In front of the now-silent Qin Ruoshuang and Anya, Zhang Liu laid out all the plans he'd come up with that morning.
"Zhang Liu, how do you know so much?" Anya broke the silence first, her voice curious.
Qin Ruoshuang, sitting beside her, also looked puzzled. To be honest, Qin Ruoshuang thought she was calm and collected. Over the past two days, she'd made some rough plans for the future. But her plans were vague, mostly about getting by. Zhang Liu's, on the other hand, were clear and methodical, addressing every issue systematically. The difference was stark.
"To improve my English, I've been translating my favorite wilderness survival books," Zhang Liu said with a wry smile. "I was doing it for a certification exam, but I didn't expect it'd come in handy here."
Anya and Qin Ruoshuang fell silent. Both had private English tutors at home for one-on-one lessons, and they knew learning English came down to self-discipline. Zhang Liu's self-taught, disciplined nature left them in awe.
While Qin Ruoshuang felt admiration, Anya's eyes held a hint of regret.
"Why don't we head over there now?" Qin Ruoshuang suggested, glancing at the sun now high in the sky, its scorching rays making her head feel hot.
Zhang Liu and Anya nodded, feeling the heat too. Carrying a coconut in each hand, Zhang Liu led the way. Anya and Qin Ruoshuang each held a coconut, and the three slowly made their way toward the small cave they'd found earlier.
Once they stepped into the cool shade of the mountain, they all sighed in relief. The air no longer felt like it was burning their lungs—it even had a touch of coolness.
"The puddle I mentioned is right here..." Zhang Liu said, a slight smile tugging at his lips as he reached the small pool.
To his surprise, in just a short time, the puddle was already full, with water overflowing and wetting the surrounding rock. Though only fist-sized, it seemed to have a steady flow.
Seeing the clear liquid, Qin Ruoshuang unconsciously licked her lips. Unlike Anya, who'd had two bottles of mineral water, she'd been drinking coconut milk for two days. While sweet and tasty, it left her mouth feeling sticky. Now, she could almost smell the crisp scent of fresh water in the air.
"Can I rinse my mouth first?" Anya asked, stepping up to the puddle and turning to look at Zhang Liu—a boy she'd never bothered to consult before.