novelden Chapter 12 Dawn Breaks
Chapter 12 Dawn Breaks
Qin Chuan didn't know how long he had slept, but he felt a pressure coming from him.
My chest felt heavy, and I was having trouble breathing. There was a warm sensation on my lips.
Qin Chuan's consciousness slowly surfaced from the dream of eating steamed buns, and his first reaction was that something was pressing down on him.
The tent was dimly lit, with only a faint blue light filtering through the cracks.
Qin Chuan blinked. His pupil technique wasn't activated on its own, but he quickly assessed the situation using his sense of touch and smell.
A person was lying on top of him, face to face, lips just touching the corner of his mouth.
The person's body was very soft, and the whole thing was pressed against him. Through the thin banana leaf clothes, the shape was so clear that it made one's scalp tingle.
He had a slender waist, a large curve in his waistband, and one leg was draped over his thigh.
Qin Chuan touched the person's waist with his hand; the skirt was woven from banana leaves and tied with strips of cloth.
Fan Yubing.
Qin Chuan cursed inwardly, "Is this girl so restless in her sleep? Is she using me as a pillow?"
Fan Yubing's breathing was even, her breath warm and carrying a faint fragrance on Qin Chuan's neck. The scent, a blend of sea salt and femininity, was particularly strong in the small tent.
Qin Chuan's body began to act up.
No, I have to push her away right away.
Qin Chuan placed his hands on Fan Yubing's shoulders and gave her a gentle push.
Fan Yubing snorted and frowned slightly, but didn't wake up. She rolled to the side with the force of the movement, curled up in a ball, and continued to sleep.
Qin Chuan let out a long breath, feeling as if he had just had a very unconventional dream.
Liu Yifei was also there, lying on her side with her back to Qin Chuan, curled up tightly with her hands clasped to her chest, looking very cold.
Qin Chuan turned over and closed his eyes, trying to sleep a little longer. But the feeling of Fan Yubing lying on him still lingered in his chest, and he couldn't calm down.
Okay, I'll just lie here in this drowsy state for a while longer.
Qin Chuan closed his eyes, his mind filled with thoughts of what he needed to do that day.
The log cabin needs to be built, the traps need to be laid, the fresh water needs to be stored, and Liu Yifei's foot injury needs to be addressed. There are too many things to keep track of.
Qin Chuan breathed a sigh of relief and fell asleep again.
But not long after, Qin Chuan felt something touch him again.
This time it's not Fan Yubing, it's the other side.
A cool hand rested on his lower abdomen.
Qin Chuan's muscles tensed up involuntarily.
That hand was small, with slender fingers and long nails; it was Liu Yifei's hand.
Liu Yifei was probably restless even in her sleep, her hand unconsciously reaching out. Qin Chuan felt that hand linger on the central tower for a moment before heading towards the higher ground.
Qin Chuan almost got his base stolen, but he grabbed the hand in one swift motion.
Liu Yifei didn't wake up. Her fingers twitched slightly in Qin Chuan's palm, as if startled, before relaxing again.
Qin Chuan put her hand back in its place, feeling somewhat confused.
One of them climbed up on top of the other, and the other touched it. How can anyone sleep in this tent?
Qin Chuan rolled over, facing the top of the tent, and placed his hands neatly on his stomach.
Whatever, I'm so sleepy, whatever.
Qin Chuan slept very soundly.
Midway through, Fan Yubing was on the top lane high ground, and Liu Yifei started tower diving at some point, but Qin Chuan was too tired to care and just drifted off to sleep.
The morning sunlight streamed through the gaps in the tent, casting golden rays onto the faces of the three people.
Liu Yifei was the first to wake up.
She opened her eyes, glanced at the watch on her wrist, and saw that the hands pointed to seven o'clock in the morning.
It seems that the time here is basically the same as on Earth, with sunrise times around the same.
Liu Yifei didn't rush to get up. She turned her head and looked at the situation inside the tent.
Qin Chuan lay on his back with his mouth slightly open and his breathing even.
Fan Yubing draped half her body over Qin Chuan, one arm across his chest and the other leg across his thigh. Her banana leaf skirt was askew, revealing most of her leg.
Liu Yifei glanced at it for two seconds, but didn't seem surprised.
When you're surviving on a deserted island, it's normal for three people to bump into each other when they turn over in their sleep, especially when crammed into a tiny tent. She wasn't even sure if she'd bumped into Qin Chuan last night.
Liu Yifei checked her physical condition.
The swelling on my right ankle has subsided considerably, and pressing it only causes slight pain.
The clay that Lin Shishi applied did have an effect. The alkaline clay neutralized the toxins, and after eating pork, drinking coconut water, and resting overnight, she felt much better.
Outside the tent, the sound of waves crashing against the rocks and birdsong could be heard.
Qin Chuan stirred and opened his eyes.
You could tell he hadn't slept well; his eyes were bloodshot, and there were marks from banana leaves on his face.
Qin Chuan usually gets up early, but yesterday's exertion was too great. From running around during the day to fighting wild boars at night, his body was exhausted.
He turned his neck, making two crisp cracking sounds.
"You're awake? How are you?" Qin Chuan asked Liu Yifei, his voice a little hoarse.
Liu Yifei nodded: "I've recovered, and my foot doesn't hurt much anymore."
"That's good."
Qin Chuan was about to get up when he suddenly felt something pressing on his chest. Looking down, he saw Fan Yubing's head resting on his chest, one hand on his stomach, fast asleep.
Qin Chuan's lips twitched.
This pose would definitely make outsiders think that the two of them have some kind of relationship.
Qin Chuan poked Fan Yubing's shoulder with his finger: "Hey, get up."
Fan Yubing snorted, ignored him, and snuggled closer to him.
Qin Chuan patted her back harder, saying, "Fan Yubing, it's dawn, get up."
Fan Yubing finally raised her head groggily, her eyes still unfocused. She looked at the face in front of her, then looked down at where her hands were resting, and her mind went blank.
Fan Yubing sat up abruptly as if bounced up by a spring, her back hitting the wooden frame of the tent, causing the entire tent to sway twice.
"You...you...when did you get in here and sleep here?"
Fan Yubing's face instantly turned red to her ears. One hand subconsciously straightened her askew banana leaf-shaped clothes, while the other pointed at Qin Chuan, her voice sharp and urgent.
Qin Chuan sat up, rubbing his chest where she had been pressing against him all night. "Where else am I supposed to sleep if not here? I set up the tent, and I kept watch until almost dawn. What's wrong with coming in for a nap?"
Fan Yubing opened her mouth, wanting to refute, but then felt that Qin Chuan made a good point.
The tent was indeed set up by someone else. They had been guarding outside for most of the night, so it was only natural for them to come in and sleep for a while.
The problem is, her posture just now...
Fan Yubing bit her lip, her voice lowering slightly: "Then, you didn't do anything to me, did you?"
Qin Chuan rolled his eyes: "What can I do for you? It's you who's always restless in your sleep, constantly climbing on top of me and hugging me. Alright, alright, I'm not talking to you anymore. I have a lot to do today, and Lin Shishi is still outside."
Fan Yubing's face turned even redder.
She vaguely remembered having a dream, in which she seemed to be holding something soft, warm, and quite comfortable...
Good heavens, she didn't actually hug Qin Chuan like a pillow all night, did she?
Liu Yifei sat next to them, watching the interaction between the two, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly.
Three people emerged from the tent.
It was already bright outside, the sun hung high in the sky, its light softer than that of the sun on Earth. A smaller sun shone in another direction, the two suns illuminating the entire beach.
Lin Shishi sat on the ground, leaning against a low tree next to the campsite, her knees curled up, her hands hugging her calves, her eyes somewhat dazed.
The campfire had long since gone out, leaving only a pile of grayish-white charcoal.
Pork wrapped in banana leaves hung on a nearby tree branch, swaying gently in the morning breeze.
Lin Shishi only came to her senses when Qin Chuan walked over.
"You're awake." Lin Shishi rubbed her eyes, her face still bearing red marks from the tree bark.
"Yes. Thank you for your hard work, keeping watch all night." Qin Chuan squatted down and looked at the wound on her arm. "How is your injury?"
Lin Shishi moved her injured arm: "It's much better, it doesn't hurt much anymore, but I still can't exert much force."
Qin Chuan nodded.
Currently, only Lin Shishi still has some old injuries that haven't fully healed, while Fan Yubing's leg injury has scabbed over and walking is no longer a problem.
Liu Yifei's insect venom has mostly subsided, and she is basically fine.
"Alright, here's the arrangement for today." Qin Chuan stood up, looked around, and said, "Lin Shishi, you rest at the campsite and don't wander off. Liu Yifei, go and collect some wood from the surrounding area; we'll need it for starting a fire tonight, and we'll also need materials to build the wooden house later. I'll go to the beach to set a trap and check if any supplies have washed ashore. I'll come back to help you when I'm done."
Liu Yifei nodded: "Okay, I'll go check out the nearby woods."
Lin Shishi had no objection: "Okay, I'll watch the things at the camp."
Fan Yubing listened from the side until the end, then interjected, "What about me?"
Qin Chuan glanced at her: "So, do you want to come to the beach with me, or help Liu Yifei collect timber?"
Fan Yubing thought for a moment.
Go with Liu Yifei to collect firewood in the forest? She was apprehensive about the woods behind the bushes.
Last night, that two-meter-long wild boar rushed out of the bushes; who knows what else might be hiding in the woods.
"I'd rather go to the beach with you."
Qin Chuan didn't say much, but he understood. The girl didn't say it, but she was scared by the wild boar last night and now dared not leave his sight.