Chapter 31: 031

Dawn’s first light broke through the thin mist clinging to the mountains, a single ray of sunlight piercing the haze.

From the dim, silent cave, a figure slowly emerged.

It was Chen Hanxuan, the lone survivor.

Basking in the sunlight, he stretched with a massive yawn before dropping to the flat ground for a set of push-ups.

His wheat-toned skin gleamed under the light, every muscle perfectly defined without a trace of excess fat. The lines of his arms were solid and powerful.

Catching sight of this first thing in the morning nearly sent Chen Hanxuan’s fans in the live stream room into a frenzy.

“Aaaah, brother is so hot—I love him!”

“If only I’d seen this before bed last night. I could’ve had the sweetest dreams.”

“No worries, I recorded it. DM me and I’ll send it over.”

“Thanks, sis!”

“…I’m a guy.”

“…Thanks, bro!”

After his morning workout got his blood pumping, Chen Hanxuan turned to the camera and greeted the viewers on the other side of the screen.

“Good morning, everyone.”

“The weather’s great today. I’m thinking of heading to the beach to try my luck. With any fortune, I might spruce up dinner with a seafood feast tonight.”

Over the past few days, Chen Hanxuan had turned the cave into a proper setup, giving it a real primitive cave-dweller vibe.

The only food sources nearby were a spring, a few berry bushes, and a sheep he’d caught on the second day.

Now even that sheep was down to half, and he’d be out of rations in a day or two.

Even so, Chen Hanxuan had no intention of seeking help from the other guests.

After scouting the routes over the last few days, he’d realized the sea wasn’t too far off.

After some thought, he decided beachcombing could make for good viewing to draw in the audience—and if luck was on his side, give him a change of pace in his meals too.

After devouring half a roasted sheep leg and some berries, Chen Hanxuan set off on his seaside expedition.

Meanwhile.

Five minutes until Song Guiya’s “release from captivity.”

The pitch-black little tent—made of who-knows-what material—remained as dark as night inside, even as daylight blazed outside.

Song Guiya suddenly opened her eyes, her ears twitching faintly. She picked up rustling sounds outside the tent, accompanied by a few hushed voices.

Pretending not to notice, she closed her eyes again.

“Time’s up, Teacher Song. You can come out now,” a staff member called.

Song Guiya pulled back the tent flap and stepped out of the Little Black Room. In that instant, Li Xingruo, Qin Yi, and Chi Huo leaped out from behind the tent.

“Surprise!”

“Yaya, we’re here to pick you up!”

“Bet you didn’t see this coming, huh? Surprised yet?”

The intense sunlight made Song Guiya squint involuntarily. Once her eyes adjusted, her clear gaze returned.

The three beamed with smiles, each holding bouquets of wildflowers picked from the mountains—reds, yellows, pinks, and greens in vibrant array. Some petals still glistened with dew, clearly gathered at the crack of dawn.

Song Guiya’s hearing was sharp; she’d overheard their whispers as they approached the tent.

Even so, she raised a brow and smiled. “Surprise.”

The four chatted and laughed as they made their way back to the Waterfall Pool.

Spotting them approach, Du Difeng immediately straightened up, clasping his hands behind his back.

“Difeng? We couldn’t find you first thing this morning—where’d you run off to?” Chi Huo took the initiative to break any awkwardness with a greeting. Drawing closer, his brows suddenly furrowed. “And you’re hurt?”

Du Difeng looked utterly bedraggled. The white hair on his head was caked in grime beyond recognition, his knees sported two bloody gashes, and scratches littered his body—some from scrapes, others from plants. A few wounds still oozed thin trails of blood.

The injuries weren’t severe, but they made for a shocking sight at a glance.

“It’s nothing. I just took a couple of tumbles.”

Du Difeng answered Chi Huo before striding straight up to Song Guiya.

Their eyes met, and an unnatural flush crept over Du Difeng’s face. He slowly bent his young back, his voice low and hoarse, his tone gravely serious.

“Teacher Song, I apologize for my awful attitude before. Thank you for saving me without holding a grudge. Please accept these.”

He brought his hands from behind his back. In his left was a bamboo basket brimming with freshly picked wild fruits. In his right… a wild chicken, most of its feathers gone, barely clinging to life, exhaustion in its eyes.

Song Guiya, Qin Yi, Li Xingruo: …

What the hell had this chicken been through?

Chi Huo suddenly understood. “So last night, when you asked me how to hunt, it was to catch something for Teacher Song as an apology.”

Du Difeng nodded awkwardly.

The most precious commodity on the Sea Island was red meat. Apart from vermin like rats and snakes, the woods held delectable wild chickens and rabbits.

Though both Chi Huo and Song Guiya knew how to hunt, this chicken was currently the best offering Du Difeng could muster.

He hadn’t slept a wink all night, slipping out in the dark to catch it specifically so he could present it to her the moment she emerged. In the process, he’d covered himself in injuries.

For a deadweight like him, it was at least a show of sincerity.

Seeing no sign that Song Guiya intended to accept it, Du Difeng’s heart grew tense.

A glimpse of the nearby camera from the corner of his eye jogged his memory, and anxiety flashed across his face.

He hurried to explain. “I’m not trying to force you to forgive me. This is purely my way of thanking you for saving my life—and compensating you for getting you locked in the Little Black Room because of me. If you don’t want it, that’s perfectly fine; it’s your right and your freedom. Don’t feel any pressure. I’ll rein in my fans so no one harasses you over this. You have my absolute word on that.”

Du Difeng’s apology and gratitude came straight from the heart.

He didn’t want anyone thinking he was staging this humility for the cameras, using moral pressure to coerce Song Guiya into forgiving him just to dodge a wave of online abuse.

Song Guiya hadn’t even considered any of that. She simply…

“This rooster’s too tough. It’s inedible.”

Du Difeng: …

Sure enough, Song Guiya still refused his thanks and apology.

Fair enough—these gifts were hardly impressive. Once filming wrapped, he’d prepare something proper.

No matter how deeply he resented her for past events, the fact remained: she’d saved his life.

He owed her a proper thank-you, come what may.

Du Difeng hung his head, ready to grab the wild chicken and slink away.

“The wild fruits look decent, though.”

The fruits in the bamboo basket gleamed with vibrant colors and uniform sizes, clearly handpicked with care.

Song Guiya plucked a bright red one and took a bite. Sour and sweet in perfect balance, deliciously fresh. She beckoned Li Xingruo, Qin Yi, and Chi Huo to join her.

Du Difeng: !!!

Did this mean… they were good?

Days of choking down wild fruits hadn’t been for nothing!

Some of the guilt weighing on Du Difeng’s heart eased.

But with his mind preoccupied earlier, he’d barely registered the pain. Now that tension released, it hit hard—especially the gash on his leg, drilling straight to the bone.

“Hiss.” Du Difeng sucked in a sharp breath.

“What’s up?” Chi Huo swallowed his mouthful of fruit and eyed Du Difeng, noting the pallor around his lips.

The others turned to look as well.

“It’s nothing,” Du Difeng said, forcing a smile. “You all keep eating. I’m just gonna wash my face by the water.”

“Haven’t washed up this morning myself,” Chi Huo replied. He’d clocked the inflamed wound right away. With a quick word to the three women, he supported Du Difeng and headed off to tend it.

The trio said nothing, content to stay and munch on the fruits.

Once the pair were out of earshot…

Li Xingruo puffed out her cheeks at Song Guiya. “Yaya, you’re really just letting that White Hair off the hook like this?”

Song Guiya glanced at Qin Yi, who was pulling out a clean leaf for Li Xingruo to wipe her hands. “He’s not a bad sort deep down. And he’s never actually hurt me.”

Li Xingruo tossed the fruit pit and smoothly accepted the leaf from Qin Yi, scrubbing away the sticky residue.

“True enough. Du Difeng’s a pain, but Teacher Qin says he looks out for her pretty well. Right, Teacher Qin?”

“Mm.” Qin Yi murmured her agreement, amusement glinting in her eyes.

“Then does he have some kinda beef with you?” Li Xingruo pressed. “You two know each other from before?”

Song Guiya gave a faint shake of her head. “Nope.”

“Weird,” Li Xingruo grumbled.

That reminded Song Guiya—she’d asked Qin Yi not long ago if she knew Li Xingruo.

The answer had been, “She doesn’t know me yet.”

Song Guiya hadn’t thought much of it then.

But now? Qin Yi moved with such easy familiarity; she clearly knew Li Xingruo inside out, like old friends of many years.

Li Xingruo, though, acted as if she ought to recognize Qin Yi but couldn’t quite place her, for whatever reason.

There was something subtly off about their dynamic.

Of course, things between Song Guiya and Qin Yi were an entirely different story.

Whether it was after her rebirth or in the original owner’s memories, she had never crossed paths with Du Difeng even once.

The only person surnamed Du who had ever interacted with the original owner.

Was already dead.