SDIWD - Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The smell of bull shark blood wouldn't dissipate for some time, so Bai Zhen postponed their plan to cross the sea until the next day.

Initially, she had only planned to build a simple wooden raft, just enough to keep Hua Mu out of the seawater. But after this incident, she was determined to build something more solid, something that wouldn't fall apart at the first strong wave.

The mangrove forest was mostly composed of shrubs and small trees, not ideal for raft construction. The associated semi-mangrove trees, like sea apples and silver-leaf trees, had wood that was too dense. While suitable for building bridges, houses, and boats, it wasn't practical for an emergency raft.

In the end, Bai Zhen decided to go to the more distant bamboo grove to gather materials for a bamboo raft.

Because of the earlier delay, it was already two in the afternoon. Bai Zhen calculated their progress and realized she had to start working immediately.

"Miss."

Hua Mu, still feeling gloomy, was furtively sizing up Bai Zhen. Seeing her lost in thought and seemingly oblivious, Hua Mu's gaze couldn't help but drift downward.

Unless she was moving through the rainforest, the Sentinel rarely wore her jacket. Since she often had to go into the sea, a sports bra was her standard attire.

Hua Mu had seen Bai Zhen's body quite a few times, yet she still couldn't bring herself to look directly at the… uh, lower parts.

Her gaze mostly focused on the Sentinel's upper body—her arms, shoulders, back, and chest… chest.

As for why, well, of course it was because… it was too embarrassing!

Bai Zhen's abdominal muscles weren't very prominent when relaxed, but the V-lines below were incredibly distinct, disappearing into the waistband of her underwear at an angle that was the very definition of erotic!

Hua Mu genuinely couldn't understand how Bai Zhen dared to expose such a body so openly! Wasn't she afraid someone would pounce on her?

Of course, she wouldn't pounce. She was just looking right now—to make sure this big dummy wasn't injured!

"Miss?"

Bai Zhen called Hua Mu's name several times before finally snapping her out of her daze.

"Wh-what is it!"

Hua Mu covered her mouth and turned her head away, annoyed at her own lapse.

Sigh, I just get too serious about things. Auntie was right.

"I'm going to cut some bamboo to make a raft. It's a bit of a distance from here. Are you…"

"I'll go with you."

At this point, Bai Zhen really didn't feel comfortable leaving Hua Mu here alone.

"Then let's set off now."

Hua Mu initially thought Bai Zhen should rest a bit longer, but then she considered that her injuries wouldn't heal just by sitting around for an hour or two, so she dismissed the idea of persuading her.

It was better to go with her and keep an eye on her.

Bai Zhen squatted in front of Hua Mu, gesturing for her to get on her back. Hua Mu looked at the herbs covering her body and twitched her lips.

"No, thanks. I'll walk myself… You can walk slowly with me."

Hua Mu's difficulty walking wasn't just due to her delicate constitution and lack of stamina; the main reason was her lack of proper shoes.

One flip-flop was something she'd found, and it didn't fit. The other was a purely natural, handmade one that threatened to fall apart after a few steps.

Like this time, she'd been carrying her flip-flops in her hands not long after they set out.

"Then I'll make you another shoe."

Bai Zhen guessed that Hua Mu's reluctance to be carried was partly out of consideration for her injuries and partly because she couldn't stand the smell of the herbs, so she didn't insist.

The leaves of the pandanus tree were flexible, flat, and long, perfect for weaving. Bai Zhen gathered some on the spot and quickly made a flip-flop for Hua Mu.

Hua Mu watched, dumbfounded.

"They teach this at the Tower too?"

A shy expression appeared on Bai Zhen's face. "No, my grandmother taught me."

"Oh…" Hua Mu always felt it was inappropriate to ask about Bai Zhen's clan matters.

The two of them got organized, leaving most of their supplies behind. They took a bottle of water, half of the coconut crab, and the seawater-soaked pandanus and set off.

It was only when she started eating that Hua Mu realized the thing she had picked wasn't a pineapple at all. Although it had some sweetness, the flavor was much milder, and the fruit couldn't be swallowed. You had to chew it and spit out the pulp, like with sugarcane—sigh, she was craving sugarcane now.

"Do you want some?"

Bai Zhen shook her head. "Miss, you shouldn't eat too much of this. It's a 'cooling' food."

Hua Mu didn't actually find it that delicious; she just felt it would be a waste not to eat it. This island had forced such a plebeian mindset upon her, a noble lady.

"Sigh."

"Miss, what's wrong?"

Hearing her sudden sigh, Bai Zhen's heart leaped into her throat again.

"I just never thought I'd be reduced to this."

In the past, she would feel like she was growing lice if she went two days without a bath, but now…

"It's my fault…"

Hua Mu snapped, "What's your fault? Is it your fault for saving me and bringing me to this island? I was the one who ran away from home, I was the one who brought you with me, and I was the one who piloted the boat. What does it have to do with you?"

Bai Zhen could never win an argument with Hua Mu. Her face flushed red, and after a long pause, she managed, "It-it was my fault for not reminding you that this area is the Shipwreck Anomaly Zone…"

It wasn't that the Sentinel hadn't said anything; it was that she had been headstrong and ignored her.

"Alright, alright. You're so bad with words, don't try to comfort people like others do."

Bai Zhen pressed her lips together and said no more.

"Hey, did you get any scars from your past injuries?"

But when Bai Zhen fell silent, Hua Mu got bored. The thought had just occurred to her, and it led her to think about the gunshot the Sentinel had taken to save her. She had been looking for a while but couldn't see a scar, and it was weighing on her mind.

"Huh?"

But the Sentinel didn't have the Young Lady's leaping train of thought and couldn't react in time.

"Back then, on my sixteenth birthday. You-you took a bullet for me, didn't you?"

Bai Zhen would never forget that day.

"N-no…"

She can't even lie. So clumsy.

"I heard from Father that it almost hit your heart?"

Bai Zhen felt the Grand Duke had exaggerated.

"No, the bullet got stuck in my rib. It was still far from my heart."

"…Are you wearing a turtle shell?"

What kind of bodies do Sentinels have? A rib can stop a bullet.

What Bai Zhen didn't say was that assassination attempts against Hua Mu were frequent in those years, and she wore a bulletproof vest at all times, ready to take a bullet for her.

The Sentinel didn't know how to respond to such a sarcastic comment and just smiled shyly.

Hua Mu felt like she was going to die of boredom.

"So, where's the wound?"

"Uh… on-on my back."

"Your back? How come I didn't see it… Ah, it must be covered."

Since it was close to her heart, it must be near her chest, an area the sports bra would cover.

The thought that the Young Lady still remembered her injury after so long moved Bai Zhen deeply.

"Miss, it's really fine now."

Hua Mu pouted. "Whether it's fine or not, I'll have to see for myself."

"Huh?"

"Nothing…"

She was just trying to confirm the physical health of her guard, but Bai Zhen's startled reactions made it seem like she had some ulterior motive.

The atmosphere suddenly turned silent for some reason. Fortunately, they had already walked over a thousand meters, and the bamboo grove was in sight.

There were scattered clumps of bamboo growing on the island, mostly tropical clumping varieties with thin culms and low height. Only this area had tall Moso bamboo, which stood out conspicuously.

Moso bamboo typically grows in subtropical regions, requiring a warm and humid climate. The soil needs to be rich in water but not waterlogged for long periods. This grove wasn't particularly large and was situated on a slope at the edge of the rainforest. The bamboo stalks were generally over ten meters tall, with stem diameters mostly exceeding ten centimeters.

It was perfect for making a bamboo raft.

Naturally, the Young Lady couldn't help with the task of cutting bamboo. Bai Zhen had her sit and rest to the side while she used a rock to hammer her dagger into a bamboo stalk, bit by bit.

Hua Mu watched with her heart in her throat, one moment worried Bai Zhen would smash her hand, the next worried her shoulder wound would tear open again. By the time the ten-meter-plus bamboo stalk fell with a crash, she was already covered in sweat.

She decided she needed to find something to do.

Right now, the only things that could motivate the Young Lady besides fresh water were food. She quickly thought of bamboo shoots. There were many sheath-like husks on the ground, and Hua Mu's fighting spirit was instantly ignited.

"Bai Zhen, do you think there are bamboo shoots here? These are the husks, right?"

Those were indeed bamboo shoot husks, likely from the rain about twenty days ago that had spurred the growth of many new bamboo plants. This also meant it was highly unlikely there were any bamboo shoots left in the grove now.

"Miss, you can look around."

But Bai Zhen, on one hand, felt it was better not to dampen Hua Mu's enthusiasm, and on the other, wanted her to have something to do—the Young Lady's staring was making her too nervous.

"Hmph, then you keep cutting bamboo. I'll go find bamboo shoots!"

Naturally, no bamboo shoots were found. Bai Zhen had already cut down three stalks, each over ten meters long, ready for the raft. The Sentinel's stamina was on full display; just a while ago she seemed on the verge of collapse, yet now she could carry the thick, long Moso bamboo without even breathing hard.

Hua Mu was quite disheartened by her failure to find bamboo shoots. Seeing Bai Zhen hauling the bamboo like a brute, her heart skipped a beat. She quickly glanced at the other woman's shoulder and saw that blood had seeped through the dressing again at some point.

"Bai Zhen!"

What kind of worrying fate is this?

"Hm? Miss, did you find any bamboo shoots?"

Bamboo shoots? What bamboo shoots!

"Put the bamboo down."

Bai Zhen quickly put the bamboo down and ran to Hua Mu's side, asking nervously, "Miss, is something wrong?"

Hua Mu wanted to say, "You're the one with something wrong," but she swallowed the words.

"You've cut three stalks. You're going to cut them into sections to build the raft, right?"

"Yes."

"Where are you planning to do that?"

"On the beach. Then I can just put it in the sea and tow it away."

Hua Mu was so angry she wanted to jump up and hit her on the head. "You say that like you're so clever. Why don't you cut them into sections here first and then take them over?"

Although it didn't hurt, Bai Zhen was a bit stunned by the tap.

"B-but that would mean carrying them in many trips."

Hua Mu suddenly realized that this Sentinel was actually quite lazy. Of course, to put it nicely, she was focused on efficiency, but being willing to bleed rather than take a few extra trips—wasn't that just laziness?

"If you shorten them, you can just roll them down the slope. It won't take much more time." Hua Mu glanced again at the white cloth on her shoulder, now soaked with blood, and finally couldn't hold back. "Change your dressing first, then you can work on it. It's fine if it's a little slow, we're not in a hurry."

Bai Zhen understood the Young Lady's concern and was deeply moved.

"I-I understand!"

Seeing her so happy and excited that even her usually stoic expression softened considerably, Hua Mu felt an inexplicable sense of joy and pride well up in her heart.

See? This Sentinel couldn't manage without her. She might just work herself to death one of these days!

Hua Mu felt the weight of her responsibility and resolved to properly manage this silly, clumsy, and occasionally self-destructively crazy big wolf-dog.

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