"Mm, quit it."
Chen Yuan, deep asleep, could clearly feel something licking his cheek, wet and damp. He reached out to touch it on instinct, then jolted awake.
Wait.
How did I fall asleep?
Chen Yuan sat upright with a blank look on his face, staring dazedly at Cola as it licked his palm. His muddled mind gradually cleared.
He remembered now.
He had originally planned to take a short nap in the meadow and rest for a while, but the surroundings had been so comfortable the moment he closed his eyes that he had drifted off without realizing it.
Chen Yuan took out his phone and checked the time. It was half past six in the evening. Putting it away, he squinted at the red clouds filling the sky and murmured, "The good news is, the sun hasn't completely set yet."
He abruptly rose to his feet and continued, "The bad news is, it'll be dark in half an hour at most."
Looking around, he was pleasantly surprised to find that the herd of Star Moon Deer and their young had not left. Some were lying down, some sprawled out, and some stood still, all remaining on this meadow bathed in golden afterglow.
But Chen Yuan had to leave.
He had delayed here for too long. He needed to hurry to the only forest ranger cabin in this area and spend the night there.
Once night fell, the Qinling Mountains would become several times more dangerous.
Chen Yuan picked up the snack wrappers and tossed them into a trash bag. Then he slung on his hiking pack and waved goodbye to the pet beasts.
After gaining their favor with snacks, Chen Yuan had deliberately avoided interacting with them too much, so as not to erode their wariness toward humans.