The Desert

Sean didn't know whether he liked outdoor activities.

He hadn't tried them yet.

But running into his neighbor, Conina, here really was "quite a coincidence."

The woman had even arrived before him.

He already suspected there was something off about Conina, yet she'd appeared right in front of him so openly that she might as well have had "I'm here to keep an eye on you" written across her face. That made Sean feel she was less likely to be working for Floris Hospital or the police.

Very strange.

A burly white man climbed out of the driver's seat. Seeing Conina greet Sean, he couldn't help asking, "You two know each other?"

"Of course. We're the closest of friends. When he helped fix my pipes, he even praised how clean they were." Conina flashed a flirtatious smile and winked at Sean. "Isn't that right, Mr. Sean from next door?"

Sean: "..."

When he'd first moved here a few years ago, he really had gone over to Conina's place to help fix her pipes. His first impression of her had been that she was a beautiful, friendly neighbor. Since he was new in town and wanted to get along with the people around him, he hadn't refused. But once he went inside, he discovered the pipes weren't broken at all. Conina had tricked him.

That was why Sean had said her pipes were clean.

That was also the only time he'd ever gone to Conina's place. Since then, no matter what excuse she'd used to invite him over—even if she'd told him her cat could do a three-and-a-half-turn aerial spin—he'd resisted his curiosity and stayed away.

Hearing Conina say that, the white man gave Sean another once-over, his gaze turning wary. Still, out of politeness, he took the initiative to hold out a hand and introduce himself.

"Hello, I'm Wilson, a friend of Conina's."

Sean shook his hand with a smile. "Hello, I'm Sean. Conina says I'm her friend."

Wilson: "..."

Somehow, even though they were both Conina's friends, he felt as if he'd lost.

The young couple nearby exchanged a glance and grinned mischievously.

Whenever the club organized an outdoor trip, they created a small group chat to coordinate beforehand.

There was also a larger group for the club's old members. They didn't necessarily go on trips often, but they were always chatting online.

Some of them had never met in person, but they'd already gotten to know each other well online. Wilson and Conina were a good example. Everyone knew the fitness trainer was interested in Conina. Whenever she showed up in the group chat, Wilson would tag her privately and reply within three seconds.

He'd asked Conina out many times, but she'd always turned him down, saying she was busy. This time, he'd finally gotten the chance to go on a trip with her—and she'd even invited him herself. Wilson had been overjoyed, swearing he'd keep her safe and give her a perfect adventure.

Who could've guessed that Conina's handsome neighbor would be coming too? Judging by her attitude, she was obviously more interested in Sean.

"Since you know each other, the three of you can ride together," Gennardo said with a grin.

Putting his personal preferences aside, he certainly looked like a manly man.

The back seat of the vehicle Gennardo was driving was occupied by the young couple. The boy was called Johnson, and the girl was Jenny.

They were both university students.

The other vehicle was mainly for carrying supplies. It was packed with tents, sleeping bags, ropes, and weapons like hunting rifles and military knives. It also carried gasoline for the road. The whole setup looked dangerous; one little bump could cause trouble.

So Wilson's vehicle was the best choice. Sean wouldn't have to listen to the couple cooing at each other, and the ride would be relatively safe.

Wilson wasn't happy about it, but he couldn't very well say so. That would make him seem petty. He opened the back door and gave a quiet, pointed snort. "Get in."

"Though I didn't expect you to come, you're a friend of Ms. Conina, so I'll treat you as a friend too. After all, I'm here because Ms. Conina invited me. She comes first."

What he meant was: I was invited by Conina, while you just happened to show up. It was obvious who mattered more to her.

He was trying to score a point.

Sean thought the guy was pretty good with words. He'd implied that he mattered more while giving himself a reason to defer to Conina, making himself seem like a perfect gentleman. Meanwhile, Conina...

Sean gave her a strange look. "You invited him?"

She'd wanted to buy him milk, yet she'd also invited Wilson. What was this woman up to?

Conina didn't deny it. She nodded. "I did invite him."

Wilson looked smug. "See?"

But before he could use the opportunity to get closer to Conina, she turned to Sean and added, "Didn't we talk about this before? You can't drive, and neither can I. Johnson and Jenny don't have licenses either, so I had to find someone who could drive us."

Sean: "..."

Wilson: "?"

You invited me to be your driver??

Wilson's face turned beet red.

The young couple beside him couldn't hold back their laughter.

Wilson glared at them.

But the worst blow was yet to come.

Sean rejected Conina, just as she'd rejected Wilson earlier.

He'd never stopped suspecting his beautiful neighbor. Conina's family had already been living in Biggs Apartment before he moved there, but who knew whether Quill had arranged that in advance to put him at ease? Or whether Conina had been bought off?

He didn't trust anyone now.

Of the three off-road vehicles, Sean chose the one carrying the hunting rifles, military knives, and gasoline.

He opened the back door and squeezed himself inside.

Jim, standing outside the vehicle, stared in surprise. This guy had actually gotten into his car?

He'd turned down a sexy beauty to keep company with cold steel and firearms. Didn't they dig into him?

Sean rolled down the window. "If there's nothing else, shall we get going?"

To be honest, being surrounded by tent poles and weapons made for a terrible ride. There was barely enough room to put his feet, and no position would be comfortable. But even if it was uncomfortable, Sean felt much safer here, because they had plenty of firepower.

Seeing him get into the "supply truck," Conina wanted to follow. The weapons were cold, but her heart was warm; she could experience the feeling of ice and fire mingling. But Sean used the lack of space as an excuse to shut her out again, refusing to open the door.

Conina gave Sean a rather aggrieved look.

This man was hard to win over. He didn't give her an inch.

But that was fine.

She could sit in the passenger seat instead.

Conina tossed everything on the seat into the back of Wilson's vehicle and slipped inside with ease.

Now the driver they'd specifically invited had become the odd one out.

Wilson: "???"

Could he swear?

Damn it, those two were way out of line.

"All right, everyone, get in," Gennardo said, smoothing things over. "It's a thousand kilometers, so it'll take a long time. Let's get moving and try to reach Black Berry Rainforest by tomorrow night."

Wilson was extremely reluctant.

But what could he do? He couldn't exactly go steal Jim's driver's seat.

That would be too embarrassing.

He gritted his teeth. Fine. He'd let it go for now.

Conina and Sean were separated, one in front and one in back. They couldn't do anything together. Once they got to Black Berry Rainforest, he'd show Conina who the truly reliable man was!

Inside the off-road vehicle.

Conina turned to strike up a conversation with Sean.

"Weren't you curious why I joined this Wilderness Survival Club?"

"Because of Chris," Sean replied, without much interest.

Before Chris went missing, he often came to see Sean. That was how Sean had gotten to know Conina. Outdoor adventures were Chris's favorite thing, so they'd naturally come up in conversation. Maybe Conina had even joined the club because Chris recommended it.

His answer cut off what Conina had been about to say. She complained, "Men shouldn't be too smart."

Sean didn't respond. He looked into Conina's eyes and suddenly asked, "Are you keeping an eye on me?"

Conina: "?"

The abrupt shift in topic caught her off guard.

"Keeping an eye on you?"

Conina was both amused and annoyed. "Are you worried the police bought me off? Didn't you say you hadn't done anything wrong?"

"Relax. Even if you really had done something, I wouldn't do that. If they took you away, who would I flirt with?"

"Besides, I'm no secret agent. Keeping tabs on someone as hard to approach as you would be too difficult for me."

"I'd only spy on you."

As she spoke, Conina brazenly opened the door and sat down beside Jim in the driver's seat. Then she gazed at Sean with tender affection.

Sean: "..."

He couldn't be bothered to deal with that woman.

For now, it didn't matter whether she was watching him or not. Whenever he spoke to Conina, he kept two guns discreetly in hand.

One was a hunting rifle, and the other was a handgun. If Conina tried anything funny, Sean could blow both her heads off.

"Beep, beep."

Gennardo honked.

"Buckle up. We're moving," Jim reminded them.

The engines started, and the three off-road vehicles left the garage one after another, heading for the winding mountain road that led to Black Berry Rainforest.

Once they left the city, Conina settled down. She couldn't spend the whole trip twisting her neck to look at Sean; her neck would get sore and her muscles would stiffen, and then they wouldn't feel nice to touch. So after watching him for a while, she turned around and admired his profile in the rearview mirror instead. He was gazing out the window, and her eyes curved into a smile without her realizing it.

She really liked this young man. Even when she gradually fell asleep, a faint, rosy smile lingered on her face. The winding mountain road wasn't very smooth, and every time the car bounced, she let out a soft "mm." Sean was at a loss. Who knew what the woman was dreaming about?

Jim didn't hear her. He'd deliberately left Sean and Conina some space, putting on his headphones and blasting country folk music. He gripped the steering wheel and swayed his hips with the music, lost in it. Sean could feel how much he was enjoying himself from the back seat.

He kept swaying for over an hour.

Perhaps Conina's antics had rubbed off on him. Sean felt that the more he watched Jim's bobbing head, the more it looked like a huge bell swinging back and forth. It made him drowsy too. After thinking for a moment, he kicked the seat behind Conina.

"Thump."

Conina: "Mmm..."

Jim, who'd just taken off his headphones to rest for a while: "?"

"What are you doing?"

"Checking whether she's really asleep," Sean replied expressionlessly.

Jim: "..."

He glanced at Conina. Not only was she asleep, she was sleeping soundly. He just couldn't figure out why her face was a little red.

"I'll sleep for a while too." Seeing that Conina showed no sign of waking, Sean finally lowered his guard a little and closed his eyes, holding the hunting rifle in his arms.

The sight made Jim wonder. Sean could've slept while holding a sexy beauty, yet he'd chosen to cuddle a gun instead. Was Jim too vulgar, or was Sean just hopelessly unromantic?

In fact, Sean was pretty good at getting along with women.

He wasn't just romantic; he was good at undoing buttons too.

Sometimes, he wondered how he'd gotten so good at it. Maybe it came naturally? Even the haughty Saintess in his dreams had been wrapped around his finger.

It was a shame the story had no continuation for now. Sean hadn't dreamed in the last few days, and it wasn't something he could control. The timeline in his dreams was completely random too. He often had to work out the order of each story himself, and he had no idea when he might dream of Oliya again.

Sean recalled the girl's face beneath her veil as the sound of the car sped past. Gradually, he fell asleep.

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a desert.

Yellow sand stretched as far as the eye could see. The sun beat down from overhead, and the air was dry and sweltering.

Conina was gone.

Jim was gone.

The car was gone.

He was all alone on a sand dune, like a lost little lamb.

Sean: "?"

Hold on, he'd only taken a nap.

Where the hell was he?