Stranded on a Deserted Island—They All Started Plotting Against Me - Chapter 4 - Chapter 4

For Qin Ruoshuang, who had been pampered all her life, even with mental preparation, the harsh reality of the situation had completely overwhelmed her.

The white underwear had been deliberately removed by Qin Ruoshuang herself. In these conditions, continuing to wear damp underwear would inevitably lead to numerous gynecological issues later on.

After hanging it out to dry on the hillside, Qin Ruoshuang lay behind the rocks, enduring the relentless pain while shielding herself from the sea breeze.

If not for Zhang Liu’s presence giving her a sliver of comfort and reliance, the excruciating pain might have driven her to despair.

“I… I can tell you’re not feeling well,” Zhang Liu stammered, nodding emphatically while struggling to keep his gaze away from the underwear lying on the ground. “So, uh, what’s wrong, Qin Ruoshuang?”

“Maybe… it’s water or food disagreeing with me…” Qin Ruoshuang replied weakly, picking up the underwear and hastily stuffing it into the pocket at the back of her skirt. Leaning against the hillside, she took shallow breaths as the pain in her stomach made it impossible to even sit down.

“I found some foam boards,” Zhang Liu said, pointing at the stack nearby. “We can use them as cushions to sit on later, so we don’t have to sit directly on the sand.”

“Okay.” Qin Ruoshuang nodded gently and walked over to pick up one of the foam boards.

But as she bent down, Zhang Liu instinctively reached out and grabbed her hand.

Her delicate, soft hand felt like warm jade in his grasp. For a seventeen-year-old who had never held a girl’s hand before, Zhang Liu froze in place.

Qin Ruoshuang’s entire body tensed, her heart skipping a beat—not from fear, but from sheer embarrassment.

She had never experienced much physical contact with a boy of her age, especially holding her entire hand.

Taking a deep breath, she tried to steady herself and said in as calm a voice as possible, “I can do it myself.”

“Sorry!” Zhang Liu immediately let go and hurriedly explained, “There’s a blade hidden between the top two foam boards. I was worried you might accidentally—”

Zhang Liu stopped mid-sentence as he watched Qin Ruoshuang stagger and collapse onto the sandy beach.

Her originally pale and delicate face had turned completely ashen. Lips tightly pressed together, she propped herself up on her arms to avoid fully falling over.

“Are you okay?” Zhang Liu quickly moved to her side, helping her lean against a rock.

Qin Ruoshuang cooperated weakly, but the sharp pain in her abdomen left her too drained to respond properly. She merely shook her head slightly to indicate she was fine and then closed her eyes, leaning against the stone for support.

Her reaction gave Zhang Liu some reassurance, but his attention was drawn to the faint traces of blood left on the sand.

Is she injured?

Frowning, Zhang Liu carefully examined the scene and realized where the blood was coming from. The placement of the stains was…

After a brief moment of thought, he figured out what was happening.

Her period.

Having two younger sisters at home to look after, Zhang Liu was familiar with the basics of a woman’s menstrual cycle. The most important things were staying warm, drinking hot water, eating well, and maintaining a good mood.

But here…

Looking around, Zhang Liu scratched his head helplessly. There was nothing remotely suitable for addressing her needs.

As for keeping her in a good mood, that was practically impossible given their current situation.

Still, an idea suddenly popped into his head—a recent viral “menstrual lifesaver” he’d heard about: heated stone bollards. Supposedly, sitting on a sun-warmed, rounded stone could provide comforting warmth from below.

Looking around the beach, he spotted plenty of stones.

But after taking a few steps toward the shore, he gave up with a wry smile.

The stones would cool down too quickly, and even if they didn’t, moving one would be another problem altogether.

After much deliberation, Zhang Liu decided to work with what he had.

He spread out two larger pieces of foam on the leeward side of the rock, creating a makeshift bed, and helped Qin Ruoshuang lie down on it.

As for the remaining foam boards, which he had planned to use for himself, Zhang Liu wasn’t stingy.

He dug three shallow trenches in the sand and stood the foam boards upright, creating a small, enclosed space to help retain heat.

While not as warm as a heated stone bollard, the rock, having absorbed the sun’s rays all day, still radiated some residual heat.

Gradually, Qin Ruoshuang began to feel less cold. The pain in her abdomen started to subside.

Breathing lightly, she felt an immense sense of relief. Although still unable to take deep breaths, her condition had improved significantly.

Feeling the evening breeze grow cooler, Zhang Liu sat down beside her foam-enclosed space, using the residual heat from the sun-warmed rock to keep warm.

“Thank you…”

The weak voice came from within the small enclosure.

“Huh? You’re awake?” Zhang Liu turned toward the foam barrier and saw Qin Ruoshuang struggling to sit up. He quickly reached out to help her.

“I didn’t pass out,” she explained, now with a bit more energy. “The pain was just so bad earlier that I closed my eyes.”

“My sisters don’t seem to have it as bad as you during their periods,” Zhang Liu commented, scratching his head. But when he noticed her expression darken, he quickly changed the subject. “Uh, do you think rescue teams will come tomorrow?”

“I don’t know…” Qin Ruoshuang shook her head, then added, “But they should come, right?”

They should, right?

Even as she said it, she wasn’t entirely convinced herself. But saying it out loud felt better than saying nothing.

A wave of helplessness washed over her, and Qin Ruoshuang felt a warm sensation welling up in her eyes.

Sniffling hard, she tried to hold back her tears.

But no matter how hard she tried, they fell silently.

“Are you crying?” Zhang Liu asked, noticing the faint sound of sobbing.

Qin Ruoshuang didn’t reply. Instead, she let the tears she had been suppressing finally escape, her sobs growing louder.

“I’m so scared… What if no one comes tomorrow?” she said, turning to Zhang Liu under the moonlight. “What do we do then?”

“I don’t know… but at least we have coconuts for breakfast tomorrow,” Zhang Liu replied after a long pause, offering a less-than-reassuring answer.

There was no response.

Turning his head, Zhang Liu saw that Qin Ruoshuang had already fallen asleep.

Cried herself to sleep?

Although puzzled, Zhang Liu curled up next to the foam boards, using them for warmth.

Exhaustion from the day’s events soon caught up to him, and he drifted off.

However, in the middle of the night, Zhang Liu was jolted awake.

“There’s a wolf!” Qin Ruoshuang’s anxious voice whispered urgently as she shook him awake. “Did you hear it?”

“Hmm?” Zhang Liu frowned slightly.

Once he fell asleep, nothing could wake him easily. He couldn’t understand why Qin Ruoshuang was in such a state now.

But soon, Zhang Liu’s expression changed.

Just as Qin Ruoshuang was about to continue speaking, a chilling wolf howl came from the forest behind them.

“Awwoo…”

“Awwoo…”

“Awwoo…”

Their bodies stiffened. In the bright moonlight, both Zhang Liu and Qin Ruoshuang could clearly see how pale the other’s face had become.