Zou Yuxing scratched his head. "That shouldn't be the case. There's practically no cover here, how could we not see anything?"
Gu Suian discovered the key to the problem. "Which direction did he go?"
"North." Zou Yuxing spun around in place, and only after seeing the wooden house did he realize the direction Wen Feiran had left in, pointing behind him.
Gu Suian was silent for a few seconds, then said with a hint of helplessness, "That's Nan."
"Ah, is that south?!" Zou Yuxing exclaimed in surprise. "No wonder you didn't see it; you were going the wrong way."
Gu Suian was a little worried and asked, "How long has Feiran been gone?"
Zou Yuxing didn't check the time, but he felt that he had been busy for a long time, "At least an hour, right?"
It would only take half an hour to get back. If Wen Feiran hadn't found him, she would have turned back. But he hasn't appeared yet, so there's only one possibility: he's lost.
Gu Suian put down the firewood and walked forward anxiously. Zou Yuxing also realized the problem and hurried after him, saying, "I'll go with you to find him."
"You..." Gu Suian looked at Zou Yuxing hesitantly.
Although two people are more efficient, Zou Yuxing can't tell directions and seems even more unreliable. If he gets lost too, things will become even more complicated.
"I can handle this alone. You go around the area and if you see Feiran, bring him back."
Zou Yuxing hadn't guessed Gu Suian's idea, but he thought it made sense, so he immediately nodded in agreement.
****
Wen Feiran stood on the vast grassland, feeling completely disoriented.
He felt uneasy as soon as he set off, but he didn't realize the danger and forcibly ignored the feeling. By the time he realized it, it was too late, and he had long since lost his way back.
Wen Feiran could only tentatively change direction and continue walking, but unexpectedly, the further she walked, the more remote she became, and the less she knew where she was.
The wind is so cool, the sun is so strong, my legs are so sore, I feel like crying.
He tried to adjust his expression, but his mouth kept turning down; he felt like his soul was about to leave his body. He kept swearing in his heart that from now on, he would never dare to run around again until he figured out which way to go.
Wen Feiran had no idea how much time had passed. His eyes were filled with sorrow, and he seriously suspected that he would have to sleep on the grassland with the sky as his roof and hug a stone tonight.
He was so tired he couldn't walk, so he rested on the spot for a while. After regaining some strength, he resignedly got up.
He trusted Gu Suian completely; he believed that if Gu Suian discovered he was missing, she would definitely come looking for him.
He took a deep breath and continued walking forward, when a black dot appeared in his field of vision.
Although Wen Feiran didn't know what it was, the scene before him had finally changed slightly. He excitedly took two steps forward, only to find that it wasn't a person, but a tall tree, standing there silently.
Resting against a tree for a while was better than sitting on the empty grassland. Wen Feiran made up his mind and unconsciously quickened his pace. He thought there was still a long way to go, but it took less time than he had imagined.
The closer he got, the taller he realized the tree was than he had imagined, with a thick trunk, lush branches and leaves, and a red rope tied to it.
Wen Feiran leaned against the tree trunk, panting heavily. He slid down as if all his strength had given out, his vision blurred by sweat. But instead of sitting on the cold ground, a strong, warm arm wrapped around his waist and pulled him up.
Wen Feiran stared at Gu Suian, who was so close to him, for a few seconds, then his eyes widened involuntarily. He threw himself on Gu Suian, burying his face in his broad chest, listening to his strong heartbeat. This was the best remedy; he felt as if he had come back to life.
"You're finally here! I thought I'd never be able to go back!"
Wen Feiran was dressed in thin clothes, which offered no protection against the wind on the grassland. In addition, the thin fabric was almost completely soaked with sweat, and once it got cold, it would draw heat away from her body even faster.
Gu Suian took off his coat and wrapped it around Wen Feiran from top to bottom.
Wen Feiran unconsciously grabbed her collar and shivered.
Noticing this, Gu Suian wrapped him even tighter with her clothes. "Are you still cold?"
"It's not cold anymore." Wen Feiran snapped out of her surprise and, seeing Gu Suian's serious and solemn expression, suddenly felt a little scared and guilty.
He's such a grown man, yet he wanders around aimlessly and gets lost, requiring Gu Suian to come and find him.
Wen Feiran licked her dry lips, smiled ingratiatingly at Gu Suian, and asked cautiously, "Are you angry?"
Gu Suian for a few seconds, then said, "No."
Wen Feiran snorted twice, "You're lying. Your expression was so serious. I really know I was wrong. I wanted to find you, I didn't run off on purpose."
"I'm not angry." Gu Suian hugged Wen Feiran, his body, which had been chilled to the bone, warmed up again, and he could feel his own heartbeat.
He was just too scared.
Even though he knew the grasslands were safe and Wen Feiran was unlikely to encounter any danger, he still couldn't help feeling flustered and anxious. It was just like those three years when Wen Feiran was right in front of him, but when he reached out, he couldn't touch anything.
Gu Suian always reported good news and never bad, so she didn't reveal her true thoughts. Her eyes softened again as she smiled and helped Wen Feiran tidy her wind-blown hair. "Let's go back. Yuxing and the others are looking for you too. Don't make them worry too much."
Wen Feiran nodded, worried that Gu Suian catch a cold, and wanted to return the coat to him.
Gu Suian wasn't particularly strong, but she possessed an undeniable domineering presence, grabbing his collar to prevent him from moving.
The two stared at each other for a few seconds, Wen Feiran gave in, obediently stretching out her arms to put on Gu Suian's coat, even covering her fingers.