Tang Fei carried the bucket and ran ahead, while Phoenix chased after him with her bucket.
As they ran, the dense raindrops began to fall.
Tang Fei stopped, took off the Bamboo Hat he was wearing—which Phoenix had secretly mocked as ugly—and placed it on Phoenix's head.
Just as Phoenix was about to Refuse, Tang Fei pressed down on her Head: "Don't move."
Tang Fei gently tugged the top of the Bamboo Hat, and it spread out around the sides with a rustling sound, perfectly covering Phoenix's entire upper body like a large umbrella.
"This is made of iron sheets, covered with a layer of century-old python skin; it can block Acid Rain."
While Tang Fei was speaking, he had already tied the strap under her neck and picked up the water buckets again, sprinting forward wildly.
Moreover, this time he picked up four water buckets.
He knew Phoenix had not fully recovered from her injuries, making it inconvenient for her to run while carrying buckets.
Although her strength was decent, her skill at carrying buckets was inferior even to Little Fatty. She had stumbled while carrying two empty buckets earlier, so Tang Fei saw no need to make things difficult for her in this matter.
Undoubtedly a textbook Simp.
Phoenix paused for a moment, then quickly followed Tang Fei's pace.
Tang Fei was extremely experienced in evading Acid Rain; he moved like an old hand, quickly finding a mountain cave for shelter.
He darted into the cave, dropped the four buckets on the ground, and leaned against the wall, panting heavily.
No matter how high your skill, you still fear a kitchen knife.
Even the fiercest kitchen knife can be corroded by Acid Rain.
It was only then that Phoenix caught up, also standing there, gasping for breath.
Tang Fei looked at Phoenix’s small face, flushed red from running, and couldn't help but laugh, saying, "You can take off the Bamboo Hat; it's quite heavy on your head. Besides, you look a bit... comical wearing it."
He actually wanted to say 'cute,' but those two words were hard to utter; he feared it would make him sound too much like a Simp, so he chose a different word instead.
Phoenix, however, was not Angry. She obediently untied the strap around her neck and was about to reach out to remove the Bamboo Hat when Tang Fei spoke up to warn her: "Don't touch the surface of the Bamboo Hat with your hands; there's still residual Acid Rain on it that could burn your hands."
Knowing Phoenix didn't know how to operate it, Tang Fei walked over again, pulled a rope on the hat, and the Bamboo Hat swiftly retracted back into its previous hat shape, shrinking considerably in size.
Tang Fei removed the Bamboo Hat from the inside and set it aside, saying, "The outer layer has contacted Acid Rain; it needs to be Purged and Disinfected before it can be touched."
Phoenix nodded, standing there Pensive, Sizing up Tang Fei.
"What are you looking at?" Tang Fei touched his face and asked, "Can you not hide my handsomeness?"
Pfft!
Phoenix let out a light laugh and said to Tang Fei, "This Acid Rain won't stop anytime soon, right?"
"It won't stop. It could be ten minutes, or it could be several hours."
"Let's sit down and rest; I'm actually a bit tired." Phoenix found a smooth spot inside the cave, saw some dry grass and leaves nearby, grabbed a handful to spread on the ground, and then plopped down on top of it. "Did you prepare these leaves too?"
"Yes," Tang Fei nodded, saying with a Proud face, "Impressive, right? I've prepared several rain shelters along this path. As soon as the Acid Rain hits, I can find shelter immediately... No one else knows, and I can't let them know. If they knew, this cave would be packed with people, and I wouldn't get anything."
Phoenix nodded; she understood the survival rules of Old Earth and couldn't accuse Tang Fei of selfishness over such a matter.
Everyone is fighting to live. If you don't strive, if you don't strive hard enough, or if your ability is insufficient, then the right to live will be taken from you.
Seeing Tang Fei still standing while talking, Phoenix asked, "Aren't you going to sit down and rest?"
So Tang Fei walked to an empty spot opposite her; he was a shy and bashful boy...
Phoenix patted the spot next to her and said, "I've already laid out the dry grass for you."
Tang Fei readily accepted, sitting down right beside Phoenix.
As soon as he sat down, a captivating scent drifted over.
The smell was pleasant, and Tang Fei couldn't help but sniffle...
Even more of a Simp.
"What are you doing?" Phoenix stared at Tang Fei warily.
A man and a woman alone in a wilderness cave; what if he had bad intentions toward her...
Oh, she was a Cultivator, so that was fine.
It wasn't until Tang Fei's gaze met hers directly that he realized what scent he had just been smelling.
Body fragrance!
The body fragrance of a youthful maiden!
That light, sweet aroma, tinged with the tartness of green lemon—the unique mark and reward belonging only to a young girl.
Of course, Tang Fei couldn't tell the truth; wouldn't that make him look like a pervert?
"Do you smell something foul?" Tang Fei retorted.
Phoenix sniffed and shook her head, saying, "No, what foul smell? I can't smell anything."
"Your nose isn't sensitive. I smell rat droppings. There are tons of rats in the cave; surely one must have defecated in the corner."
Phoenix completely believed him and said with great admiration, "You're amazing; you can even smell that."
"Of course. Without rich survival experience, I would have been eaten by those wild beasts long ago." Tang Fei thought the girls who came from New Star were too easy to fool; one try and they were convinced, one try and they were convinced. If he could get to New Star...
Forget it; he couldn't go.
Hearing Tang Fei say that, Phoenix felt an inexplicable sadness.
She turned to Look towards Tang Fei's lean profile and asked, "Tang Fei, are you happy?"
"What did you say?" Tang Fei widened his eyes and looked towards Phoenix.
"I asked if you are happy—if you are content with your daily life?"
Tang Fei stared blankly for a while before looking at Phoenix with utter disbelief, saying, "How can you bring up such heavy topics with me? Can't you tell if I'm happy or not? Isn't it as obvious as the wrinkles on the Old Man's face?"
“…”
Phoenix felt very guilty and said, "I'm sorry. I just wanted to understand you better... I want to hear about your past life, your current life, and the life you wish to live in the future."
"If you want to know something, just ask directly. Don't ask me if I'm happy," Tang Fei said. "Just surviving is hard enough; anything else is a luxury."
"Okay, I understand," Phoenix felt even more distressed. She felt that every word Tang Fei spoke in that nonchalant tone could evoke sympathy and pity, a Sadness that ran deep into the bone.
The less he cared, the more it proved that he was accustomed to the hardships he had endured.
"Understand what?"
"That your lives are very difficult."
"Yes, so when you return to New Star, you must not forget what you promised us. It's not for me, but look at Little Fatty; he's growing and has to smash so many stones every day—the poor child..."
Tang Fei knew Phoenix liked Little Fatty for his Honest and simple nature; their bond was much deeper than hers with him.
He could sense that Phoenix was constantly wary of him.
It couldn't be helped; who told him he was a dangerous man?
"..." Phoenix was utterly speechless.
Did this shameless guy set a trap for her here?
"Don't worry, I will definitely keep my promises, perhaps even do more, not less." Phoenix almost thumped her chest to guarantee it.
"Mm," Tang Fei nodded firmly and said, "I trust your character."
"..."
Trusting him would be a joke.
If he trusted her, he wouldn't keep reminding her.
Phoenix remained silent, and Tang Fei didn't know what else to say.
Thus, the cave fell into a deathly silence.
Only the sound of the wind howling outside and the sound of Acid Rain splashing against the Branches and Leaves and the ground could be heard.
For some reason, these large trees had adapted to the corrosive intensity of the Acid Rain; not only were they thriving, but they were also absorbing it for Nutrition and growing wildly.
Of course, those that couldn't adapt were already dead.
"Why do I smell sulfuric acid?" Phoenix asked.
Upon hearing this, Tang Fei's expression turned strange. He quickly jumped up from the ground, took off his outer jacket, and then started to take off his pants...
Phoenix was shocked and shouted, "Tang Fei, what are you doing?"
PS: Thanks to the young girl sunnyRǎn Rǎn for becoming our Star River Mengzhu. I'm not exaggerating to you all, but I watched this young girl grow up.