Stranded on a Deserted Island—They All Started Plotting Against Me - Chapter 34 - Chapter 34

Qin Ruoshuang had originally intended to take over Zhang Liu’s night watch.

Her light sleep meant that the wolf howls had woken her, and she hadn’t been able to fall asleep again.

Noticing that Anya hadn’t taken her turn, Qin Ruoshuang decided to get up. She reasoned that her tasks tomorrow—fetching water and tending the fire—would leave her time to rest.

But as she sat up, she noticed Zhang Liu crouched near the cave entrance, seemingly on alert.

Curious, she carefully approached, witnessing Zhang Liu’s bold actions.

She was deeply impressed by his courage.

But just moments later, this scene transformed into an awkward and embarrassing situation—Zhang Liu, face pressed against her chest, his body reacting in an unmistakable way.

Now Qin Ruoshuang was overwhelmed by mixed emotions—shame, nervousness, and confusion.

Struggling for air, Zhang Liu finally mustered enough strength to push himself free of her embrace. One hand still cushioned her head while the other propped himself up.

Now free, he collapsed onto her, gasping for breath.

The sensation brought Qin Ruoshuang back to her senses. Quickly, she sat up, shielding the area where Zhang Liu’s tongue had made contact.

She didn’t say a word, her body still trembling from the intimacy of the moment.

“I’m sorry…” Zhang Liu muttered, flipping off her and settling near the fire, his gaze fixed on the sea outside.

When he apologized, Zhang Liu felt a wave of helplessness.

Clearly, he was the startled victim here, yet he had to apologize.

Qin Ruoshuang didn’t acknowledge his apology. Instead, she absentmindedly touched the inside of her thigh, recalling where she’d felt something hard press against her.

So that’s what a boy feels like?

Her thoughts were chaotic, her emotions a whirlwind of confusion and panic.

After a long pause, she stood and moved behind Zhang Liu. Leaning against the warm, fire-heated rock wall, she lowered her gaze to the boy in front of her.

She couldn’t make sense of many things she’d thought about earlier.

But one thing was clear: Zhang Liu didn’t owe her an apology.

Even when he fell, he’d used his hands to protect her head.

Hearing the faint rustling behind him, Zhang Liu’s heart began to race.

He could still feel the lingering sensation on his tongue and recall the softness from earlier.

Guilt crept over him—he had promised not to do anything inappropriate before sleeping. Yet now, this…

What kind of chaotic situation was this?

“Zhang Liu, I’m feeling cold and restless. I can’t sleep. Can I sit beside you and talk?”

Qin Ruoshuang’s voice was soft and melodic, lowered to avoid waking the sleeping Anya.

“Uh… sure.” Zhang Liu moved aside, subtly covering his lap to avoid further embarrassment.

“About earlier… you don’t need to apologize,” Qin Ruoshuang said quietly, sitting beside him. “I should be thanking you for protecting my head with your hands.”

Hearing her words, Zhang Liu finally relaxed a little.

It seemed she didn’t intend to dwell on what had just happened.

“Still, I feel bad about it,” Zhang Liu said with a nervous smile. “What’s bothering you?”

“I just feel really frustrated,” she rested her left hand on her chin, her elbow propped on her thigh, while her right hand picked up a thin branch from the pile of firewood nearby and absentmindedly poked at the fire. Tilting her head, Qin Ruoshuang looked at Zhang Liu and said, “I don’t know what to do about the future.”

“You don’t know what to do about the future?” Zhang Liu repeated her words, at a bit of a loss.

You’re a rich second-gen who’ll inherit a fortune as long as you make it home alive, and you’re asking me—a broke guy who’ll have to borrow money from you to get by after this—what to do about the future?

Seriously, how can you say that with a straight face?

“A lot of things, really. You mentioned building a boat to escape, but how exactly are we supposed to do that…”

“And the fruits over there are almost gone. How are we going to survive after that…”

“Our clothes will wear out sooner or later. What do we do when winter comes…”

“Water…”

Qin Ruoshuang voiced a string of worries, and as Zhang Liu listened, a faint smile grew on his face.

“Why are you laughing?” Feeling self-conscious, Qin Ruoshuang scolded him, “Is what I said that funny?”

“No, not at all!” Zhang Liu shook his head, picking up a piece of wood and tossing it into the fire. “It’s just like this fire. Before successfully starting it with friction, I didn’t believe it would work. But for anything, we have to try first. Only after we’ve done it can we see the results.”

“Yeah.” Qin Ruoshuang nodded lightly. She wasn’t clueless—she’d already thought of this herself. Still, as a girl, she wanted someone to reassure her, to give her a sense of peace.

After Zhang Liu’s words, a brief silence fell between them.

After a few seconds, she spoke again. “Can we talk about something else?”

“Something else?” Zhang Liu was confused. He had no idea what she wanted to talk about.

“Like your sisters?” Qin Ruoshuang suggested, glancing back at Anya, who was sound asleep. She realized that, compared to Anya, she knew very little about Zhang Liu.

She wasn’t sure why she wanted to know more about him, but at this moment, she simply felt the urge to understand him better.

Zhang Liu’s sisters, whom he frequently mentioned, was the first person she was curious about.

“My sisters…” Zhang Liu’s expression turned wistful as he gazed at the twinkling stars. “I wonder how they’re doing now…”

“Don’t you have other relatives?” Qin Ruoshuang asked, frowning. She’d always found it strange that Zhang Liu was raising his sisters alone. Surely a relative could have helped lighten the load?

“No, none,” Zhang Liu said, shaking his head. “We haven’t kept in touch with any relatives. And…” He hesitated, recalling his mother’s words before she passed away. He licked his lips and added, “My parents had a falling out with their families over twenty years ago. They cut ties and went independent. After so many years of no contact, I doubt any relatives, or even grandparents, are still around.”

Hearing his explanation, Qin Ruoshuang nodded, finally understanding why Zhang Liu had to take care of his sister on his own.

She decided to shift the conversation. “Actually, my sister takes good care of me, too.”

“Your sister?” Zhang Liu blinked at her, surprised, then quickly realized. “Oh right, you’re twins!”

“I think her name was… something like Yan Zi?” He furrowed his brow, struggling to recall. Remembering names wasn’t his forte.

“Yan Zi? My sister’s name is Qin Ruoyan!” Qin Ruoshuang chuckled at Zhang Liu’s confusion. She turned to look outside and added, “Maybe she’s on this island too, and we just haven’t run into her yet.”

“I’d rather hope she’s already been rescued,” Hearing her magical idea, Zhang Liu couldn’t help but complain.

“Ah…” Qin Ruoshuang paused before smiling, nodding quickly. “Yeah, she’s probably been rescued!”

The two continued chatting casually, with no specific topic in mind.

Outside the cave, the sound of distant wolf howls gradually faded.

The moon slowly crossed the night sky.

Just as Zhang Liu’s eyelids began to droop, he felt something lean against his shoulder.

Turning his head, he found Qin Ruoshuang asleep, her head resting on his shoulder.

As he moved, her body tilted toward his chest. Instinctively, he reached out to steady her, his hand landing lightly on her back.

Holding her slender, delicate figure, Zhang Liu couldn’t help but stare at her serene sleeping face, so close he could feel her soft breaths against his cheek.