Lu Zhe's remark "Rather than being born on the same year, month, and day, I'd prefer to die on the same year, month, and day" dispelled the romantic atmosphere in an instant.
Shen Bing sighed and gaped, immediately picturing the scene of Liu, Guan, and Zhang forming a sworn brotherhood.
"Alright, but if we ever need to make up for the wedding later, I'll have the final say. Otherwise, you might really turn it into a brotherhood ceremony."
"That wouldn't happen! But I have no issue with you deciding on the wedding. After all, the highlight is always the woman's beauty and gentleness. The man is just a prop."
"Hmph, good to know!"
They both stood up and observed the cave more closely. It had an irregular oval shape, with most of it formed by rocks except for the opening they had fallen through.
The cave was about four meters wide and two and a half meters high, with a two-and-a-half-meter-wide river channel running through the middle. The water was incredibly clear.
Lu Zhe was overjoyed and dipped his hand into the underground river, feeling a slight coolness on his fingertips.
"Ding! New freshwater resource discovered..."
He took a sip, and the water was refreshingly cool without a trace of sulfur.
Freshwater!
Truly pure freshwater!
"Great water! Shen Bing, hurry and have a drink!"
Shen Bing cupped some water and drank. "Hmm, it tastes like high-end mineral water."
After quenching their thirst, they used the spring water to give themselves a rough wash.
Shen Bing retrieved their clothes and washed them thoroughly, inside and out.
Putting them back on made them feel more normal, but the damp clothes still felt chilly in the cave.
Lu Zhe didn't mind, but Shen Bing felt slightly uncomfortable and sneezed several times.
Examining the direction of the cave, it came from the northwest, the direction of the volcano's base, and the water flowed southeast, towards their camp.
Northwest or southeast, which way should they go?
Since they weren't sure which path was passable, Lu Zhe chose the more likely option – following the water flow southeast.
"This way!"
After walking for two minutes, they came across a fork.
One path emitted steam and the smell of sulfur, while the other had a scent of herbs.
Lu Zhe clearly understood where these two paths led!
He intended to get out quickly, retrieve their aircraft, and record this "new route."
But seeing Shen Bing sneeze again, Lu Zhe knew she might have caught a cold and could get sick.
Although they had ibuprofen and various herbs, following the principle of avoiding illness in the wilderness if possible, he decided to take the path that seemed to lead to hot springs first.
"This way..."
"Why?"
"Trust me!"
Lu Zhe took Shen Bing's hand and entered the steamy cave. Soon, they saw a hot spring pool.
Larger than the first one, this second pool had a unique, elongated shuttle shape.
It was seven or eight meters long, widest in the middle and narrower at both ends.
The spring water flowed in from one end, where a smooth, rounded rock protruded from the water's force.
The water then overflowed from the other end, cascading onto the stone floor before draining into a hole about three meters away.
At its widest, the pool was about two meters across, with a raised stone platform on either side to prevent water from spilling over.
The water temperature was around 35°C (95°F), slightly cooler than the first pool.
It was unknown whether the temperature remained constant or fluctuated with currents or air temperature.
However, this temperature could maintain body heat while still feeling comfortable.
"Let's bathe before continuing," said Lu Zhe.
Shen Bing frowned. "I don't know, there's something odd about the shape of this pool."
"What's odd about it? It's a perfectly normal pool, completely clean without any monkeys!"
"The shape is just... weird."
"Nature, like the creator, shapes landscapes into unimaginable forms. Besides, I think the shape is nice!"
"Well, alright..." Shen Bing sighed, as her damp clothes did make her want to soak in the hot spring.
"We just put these on, and now we have to take them off again!"
"It's not that much effort to put clothes on, is it?"
"The effort isn't the issue, but there's one thing we absolutely, absolutely, absolutely must be mindful of..." Shen Bing raised a stern finger.
"What's that?"
"Restraint!"
Lu Zhe nodded. "You're right, we need to exercise restraint, or I really feel like I might stray from the right path."
"Yes, me too! What was the first line again?"
"The emperor's enterprise was left unfinished when he passed away prematurely!"
"Mmhmm..."
The two recited the Preface to the Prince of Teng's Staff together as they soaked in the hot spring.
Lu Zhe finally found relief from his fatigue after a day of hard work.
Shen Bing also felt the pressure on her chest ease significantly!
After another half hour, they had both cleaned their bodies and... had not relieved their fatigue?!
But the two had memorized the Preface to the Prince of Teng's Staff thoroughly, having withstood the temptation!
"I think that's enough, let's go!"
"Should we put our clothes back on? It's still quite chilly!"
"Or we could just use our clothes to dry ourselves first. It's just the two of us, an old married couple now..."
"Alright, but remember, we must exercise restraint!"
"Yeah!"
They dried themselves with their clothes, then continued along the other river channel.
The river flowed into a dark tunnel, like an underground sewer.
"Too bad we can't divert it to our camp..."
"This isn't bad either. The camp shouldn't be too far from here."
Looking up, there seemed to be some light ahead?
"If we're lucky, that's the cave exit."
They walked towards the light and saw a flat stone blocking the way.
Lu Zhe pushed it, opening the entrance significantly.
However, the pre-dawn darkness made it impossible to see more than a few inches ahead.
They could only hear the rain, sometimes drizzling, sometimes pouring.
Checking his watch, it was already 4:30 AM. In an hour and a half, daylight might arrive.
"Should we head back now or wait a bit?" asked Lu Zhe.
"Hmm, let's wait. The forest is too dark now. It might be better once it's light out."
"But the sun could also be covered by clouds!"
"That's always a possibility!"
"Yeah, let's wait here for a bit and watch the rain."
Shen Bing found a rock to sit on but immediately jumped up with an "Aiya!"
"What's wrong?"
"The rock is so cold!"
"Really?" Lu Zhe sat down. "I don't think it's that cold."
But then he realized that the difference in perception might be due to the differences between male and female physiology.
"Never mind, I'll just stand."
"But that'll be tiring." Lu Zhe thought for a moment. "Why don't you sit on my lap?"
"Um..." Shen Bing hesitated. "Alright, but we both need to restrain ourselves!"
"Absolutely!"
Shen Bing then sat on his lap.
"No wonder you're young, you're like a little heater!"
"Well, that's..."
After that, neither of them spoke for five minutes.
Finally, Shen Bing broke the silence. "Hey, why don't we... one last time?"
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
lan, the Luo family, tracked him down - along with the babies in their arms. Mo Xuan stared pensively at the paternity test results from over a dozen top institutions, both domestic and international, showing a 99.99% match between himself and the two baby girls. At 23, Mo Xuan, a doctoral student, had become the father of two three-year-old children. The kicker? The mothers weren't even the same person! He gradually realized he was being lured step by step into an elaborate trap designed by these two yandere sisters. "Be good, little Xuan. Sister's life belongs to you entirely." "Brother, if you try to run away, I'll have no choice but to tie you up." Mo Xuan: "Do whatever you want, ladies. I give up."
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
