Stranded on a Deserted Island—They All Started Plotting Against Me - Chapter 5 - Chapter 5

Under the backdrop of the wolf howls, the once-gentle moonlight now seemed cold and eerie, carrying an unsettling resemblance to a scene from a zombie film.

Qin Ruoshuang curled up in the makeshift foam shelter and whispered, “They’re not planning to eat us, are they?”

“They won’t. This spot has excellent visibility—if wolves approach, I’ll see them immediately.”

“Also, wolves usually avoid attacking creatures larger than themselves. That goes against the rules of survival in the wild.”

“Most importantly, this is a sandy beach, which isn’t suitable terrain for wolves to hunt. They prefer ambushing in forests or plains.”

Zhang Liu calmly listed three reasons to reassure the trembling Qin Ruoshuang.

“Really?” Qin Ruoshuang felt a bit more at ease hearing his explanation.

“Of course! Don’t forget—I was top of my class!” Zhang Liu answered confidently. “Any other questions?”

“No…” Qin Ruoshuang finally relaxed somewhat, retreating further into the foam shelter for warmth.

However, Zhang Liu was as uneasy as could be, despite his confident facade.

The reasons he’d just given were entirely made up on the spot.

Having only ever watched survival videos online, he knew nothing about wolves. His words were meant purely to comfort Qin Ruoshuang.

In truth, if a wolf pack did come hunting, there was little they could do to defend themselves.

For now, he could only prepare for the worst while hoping for the best.

The eerie howls and other forest noises echoed around them, leaving both Zhang Liu and Qin Ruoshuang sleepless.

Eventually, Zhang Liu heard faint rustling sounds behind him.

“What’s wrong?” Zhang Liu asked. Qin Ruoshuang was shielded by the foam boards, so he couldn’t see her directly and could only ask.

“Nothing… I just miss home,” Qin Ruoshuang replied in a voice tinged with tears.

“Come on, we were just out on a trip. Why miss home so soon?” Zhang Liu pretended not to understand, even though he knew exactly why she felt this way.

“It’s different!” Qin Ruoshuang said softly. “Right now, we were supposed to be in Japan, enjoying hotpot, barbecue, and watching anime together…”

“Hey, at least I’m here with you. When we’re rescued, I’ll treat you… No, I’ll let you treat me to a month’s worth of hotpot. Three meals a day! Wait, no—four, including midnight snacks!”

“Haha… You’d burn out at that rate!” Even though Qin Ruoshuang was miserable, Zhang Liu’s joke made her laugh.

Seeing this, Zhang Liu felt a sense of relief.

Seizing the moment, he said, “What’s the big deal? I’ll just take heartburn meds between meals and keep eating. Oh, and I’ll gorge on that magic beef!”

“Magic beef?” Qin Ruoshuang repeated in confusion before laughing. “You mean Wagyu?”

“Uh… yeah, don’t sweat the details.” Zhang Liu feigned embarrassment. “Besides, Anya said her family has a private ranch for that stuff!”

“…” Qin Ruoshuang suddenly fell silent.

Zhang Liu quickly realized his mistake. He shouldn’t have mentioned Anya’s name, as it brought reality crashing back to Qin Ruoshuang.

But what’s said is said. He couldn’t take it back.

All he could do was awkwardly purse his lips and join her in silence.

“Do you think we’ll really be stuck here?” Qin Ruoshuang eventually broke the silence. “Are people even looking for us out there?”

When she had leaned against the rocky outcrop earlier in the day, she’d believed rescue would come within a few days.

Maybe others would join them on the island, and together they’d survive and hold on longer.

But as the day wore on, it was still just her and Zhang Liu.

Hearing his lighthearted remarks, Qin Ruoshuang couldn’t shake off a growing sense of despair.

“Don’t worry. Aside from me and Teacher Zhou, aren’t the other nine passengers all children of society’s elite or wealthy magnates?” Zhang Liu reassured her, trying to lift her spirits. “They must be doing everything possible to find us right now. Someone will rescue us soon.”

“Tomorrow, I’ll figure out how to make a fire. Once we have fire, we can cook something delicious. This is a coastal area—no Kobe beef for hotpot, but we can have seafood hotpot!”

“Pfft…” Qin Ruoshuang couldn’t help but laugh. “You think this is some supermarket where you can get whatever you want?”

“Well, as long as we’re alive, there’s always a way!” Zhang Liu’s optimism seemed to lighten the mood. As his words faded, the wolf howls from the forest also grew faint.

Silence fell over the deserted island, and for the first time that night, they both closed their eyes and fell asleep, only to be awakened by the scorching sunlight the next morning.

“No rescue yet.” Zhang Liu exchanged a glance with Qin Ruoshuang, who peeked her head out from the foam shelter. He turned to look at the endless expanse of sea with a deeply dejected tone.

What he had hoped for most was to wake up and see a rescue team arriving to save them.

“Mm…” Qin Ruoshuang responded weakly, still curled up in the foam shelter. The psychological fear and physical pain from the previous night had left her utterly drained. While the foam’s smell wasn’t pleasant, she was too exhausted to care.

“You don’t look too good,” Zhang Liu noted her condition. He quickly went over, gently holding her to help her sit up straight, letting her bask in the morning sunlight.

The slightly warm rays gradually brought sensation back to her numb limbs. Qin Ruoshuang turned her head to smile faintly at the worried boy beside her. “Thank you.”

“Now’s not the time for formalities,” Zhang Liu said with a wry smile, shaking his head. But just as he was about to say more, his gaze fell on a shocking sight—a patch of red on the ground.

Following the trail upward, he saw two long, slender legs. The black stockings that had covered them earlier were now removed and placed on the foam board nearby.

Zhang Liu, who had never seen a girl’s bare legs this close before, suddenly found it hard to breathe.

Noticing where Zhang Liu’s gaze had landed, Qin Ruoshuang moved slightly, attempting to cover herself. However, the pain in her lower abdomen triggered a spasm, causing her to let out a low moan.

Her previously closed legs instinctively parted slightly from the movement. The short skirt, which had barely managed to preserve her modesty, completely lost its function.

In that instant, a “forest” revealed itself in all its splendor, blanketed by a snowy “plain.”