Destination: The Island's Highest Point

Ning Shu nodded. "Right, this is important. If it turns out to be a rescue team, we could go home today!"

"Fingers crossed!"

"By the way, how many coconuts do we have left?"

"Five with water and eleven without!"

"We still need to find a way to get more fresh water. Qianqian, sorry for the trouble, but you'll need to distill some more!"

Lin Qianqian said, "No problem!"

"Also, sleeping on the sand isn't very comfortable. If you have time, you can pull up some wild grass, dry it in the sun, then tie it into mats to lay inside the shelter. That'll make it more comfortable!"

Jiang Yao said, "Class monitor, you pull up the grass. Guo'er and I have bad legs, so we'll see if we can weave a mat!"

Ning Shu shook her head. "I'm afraid I can't!"

Tang Xiaoguo asked, "Why?"

Ning Shu said, "I can't let Lu Zhe go over there alone. I'm going with him! I'm afraid I won't be able to stay at camp with you!"

The girls thought about it. They really weren't comfortable letting Lu Zhe go alone, either!

Never mind running into Godzilla, zombies, or aliens-even a fox spirit would be hard to deal with!

On balance, having someone accompany Lu Zhe would give everyone less to worry about!

Lin Qianqian said, "Go ahead, don't worry about us! I can gather wild grass!"

Tang Xiaoguo said, "I'll distill fresh water!"

Jiang Yao said, "I'll weave the grass mats! You'll have a comfortable camp when you get back!"

"Then we're counting on you!"

Lu Zhe and Ning Shu made a few simple preparations, took half a bottle of coconut water and an empty backpack, and set off to explore the other side of the island again!

They picked up some more supplies along the way!

Lu Zhe washed everything he thought might be useful, then carefully folded it up and put it away!

As Ning Shu collected bottles, she joked, "Once we get back, we could open a scrap-buying station!"

"Do I look like a scrap collector?"

Ning Shu gave him a careful once-over and deliberately teased him. "Absolutely!"

Lu Zhe nodded. "Fine, I'll be the boss, and you'll be the employee!"

"Why do I have to be the employee?"

"Then what do you want to be? The boss's wife?"

Ning Shu gave a soft huff. "Hey, you even dare take liberties with your class monitor? Just watch me pinch you!"

Lu Zhe casually snorted. "Always trying to pinch people. Were you born under the sign of the big white goose?"

"Lu Zhe, why are you so annoying?"

Though she said he annoyed her, her eyes began sneaking glances at him!

To be honest, Lu Zhe was quite handsome. Leaving aside his perverted tendencies, he was a decent boyfriend candidate!

But Guo'er and Yaoyao were already fighting tooth and nail over him. If she stuck a foot in too, things would probably become a complete mess!

Still, she wanted to ask Lu Zhe what she hadn't managed to ask last time. "Hey, let me ask you something!"

"Go ahead!"

"You can't have failed to notice that Yaoyao and Guo'er are both interested in you, right?"

Lu Zhe nodded smugly. "Of course. Lots of girls have been interested in me ever since I was little! My mom says I have no other flaws, just too much luck with women! A fortune-teller said my fate was plagued by peach blossoms-a once-in-a-century girl killer!"

"Lu Zhe..."

"Hmm?"

Ning Shu looked at him and said with complete sincerity, "If you stop bragging, we can still be friends!"

"Bragging? I'm being pretty modest..."

"Cut the nonsense. I'm serious!"

Ning Shu adopted a more serious tone. "If Guo'er and Yaoyao made you choose one of them as your girlfriend, who would you choose?"

Lu Zhe smiled. "Does it have to be one? Can't I have both?"

"Pretty greedy!"

Ning Shu held out a finger. "I'm serious, so give me a serious answer!"

Lu Zhe rarely saw the class monitor this serious, either. "What, does the class monitor police her classmates' relationships too? Going to tattle to the teacher when we get back?"

"Am I that kind of person?"

Lu Zhe thought for a moment. "Hmm... honestly, I don't know either! I want to say I like them both, but I'm afraid you'll call me a scumbag! But actually..."

Ning Shu said angrily, "Wait... you really do like both of them!"

"Not exactly!" Lu Zhe adopted a serious tone too. "I like all four of you, including Qianqian, and you too, class monitor!"

"Me?"

Hearing that, Ning Shu felt a little taken aback!

She felt she ought to be furious, but somehow she couldn't get angry.

Why?

She didn't know either!

"You... you want to have a foot in four boats?"

"Ah..."

Lu Zhe sighed. "I know it's wrong! But each of you four has your own strengths, your own adorable qualities, and your own little flaws! If you insist on making me choose one, you might as well tell me to die!"

Ning Shu feigned anger. "Hmph, then go die!"

Then she muttered, "All you do is brush me off when I ask you something! Not a single word of truth!"

Lu Zhe scratched his head. He didn't think he'd brushed her off at all. On the contrary, he thought his answer had been quite sincere!

The two chatted as they walked, and before long, they reached the place they had come to yesterday!

"Hey, Lu Zhe, look!"

Lu Zhe looked toward the object. Sure enough, it was still there!

"It hasn't moved at all?"

"It looks a little closer!"

"Could also be that the light was bad last night!"

"Is it a ship?"

"Doesn't look like one!"

This time, Lu Zhe could see a little more clearly than last night!

But he was slightly nearsighted and could still only make out an outline!

Right, don't I have Potential Points?

This time, I'll put two straight into perception!

At once, his hearing and vision sharpened. He focused slightly, his pupils contracting. Not only had his mild nearsightedness recovered, but his vision was much better than before!

Then he made out a green top...

It seemed to be an island!

Another small island!

Three more points into perception. Focus!

Confirmed!

It really was a small island!

"Can you make out what it is?" Ning Shu asked!

"Looks like a small island!"

"So it's not a rescue ship. No wonder it's just sitting there..." Ning Shu sighed in disappointment.

The island was some distance away, so he couldn't make out its precise appearance. Besides, the curvature of the horizon itself hid its lower half!

To see it more clearly, he would have to climb to the highest point of the island they were on!

He turned back and looked at the dense tropical jungle!

Venturing into the jungle wouldn't be that easy!

They would have to deal with insects, snakes, and unforeseen emergencies!

But this was necessary. Even if they weren't going to observe that island, they still needed to learn more about the one they were on!

For instance, where there were rivers, where there were bamboo groves, and where there was land suitable for planting!

So, no matter how he looked at it, he had to reach the island's highest point!

At that thought, Lu Zhe said to Ning Shu, "Class monitor, I'm going into the jungle!"

"Why?"

"I need to get to the island's highest point! First, I'll be able to get a clearer view of that island opposite us! Second, it'll help us understand the island we're on!"

Ning Shu nodded. "All right, let's go together!"

Lu Zhe also felt he couldn't leave Ning Shu here. After thinking for a moment, he said:

"Yes, we'll enter the jungle together! But we have to be extremely careful. There could be plenty of dangers in there!"

"It's not like we haven't explored the jungle together before!"

"That time, we only stayed at the edge. This time, we're going deep inside! The level of danger is different."

Ning Shu nodded earnestly and said, "Don't worry. I'll listen to you and be very careful!"

Lu Zhe nodded and held out his hand!

Ning Shu froze. "What are you doing?"

"Let me hold your hand. If anything unexpected happens, we can help each other!"

"Oh!" Ning Shu hesitated, then placed her hand in Lu Zhe's palm!

And the instant their fingers touched, Ning Shu's heart felt as though a little deer had bumped into it!