Bo Wang swiftly snatched the wild fruit from Ning Xi's hand and took a bite, the sweet juice spreading between his lips and teeth.
The wild fruit, about the size of a baby's fist, was devoured by Bo Wang in just two or three bites.
Not eating was fine.
But once he started eating, he felt even hungrier.
Bo Wang couldn't help but regret it and asked, "Is there any more food? I'll buy it with money! I'll write an IOU!"
Ning Xi shook her head.
There was none left.
For the first time in his life, Bo Wang experienced the pain of having no money.
He swore that from now on, he would always carry cash with him when going out.
Bo Wang was also tired from walking and plopped down beside Ning Xi, asking, "How long will it take to get to the main road from here?"
"If we hurry, we should be able to reach the duty room at the foot of the mountain before sunset."
Bo Wang was utterly despondent.
Ning Xi stood up, brushed the dust off her Taoist robe, and leisurely walked forward.
Bo Wang had no choice but to follow Ning Xi.
Bo Wang had always thought his stamina was quite good.
But he hadn't expected Ning Xi to be even more impressive. She walked as if strolling through a garden, not even panting.
Bo Wang watched Ning Xi's back. At first, he thought she was wearing a white dress, but now he realized it was a Taoist robe.
Her jet-black hair was tied up with a wooden hairpin, revealing a slender, swan-like neck.
She stood a full 1.7 meters tall, yet she didn't have the clumsiness often associated with tall girls. Instead, she was incredibly agile and light on her feet.
As she walked, the wide Taoist robe billowed in the wind, making her look like a sprite from the mountains.
As they walked on, Ning Xi suddenly stopped.
Bo Wang's stomach growled incessantly.
Ning Xi turned around, her cold, star-like eyes falling on Bo Wang's peach-blossom eyes.
"Wild fruit for 100 each? Still want some?"
Hearing this, Bo Wang's peach-blossom eyes lit up with immense delight, and he nodded eagerly.
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Ning Xi asked, "How many do you want?"
Bo Wang swallowed and said, "100."
Ning Xi placed her canvas bag on a rock and walked over to a wild fruit tree.
Only then did Bo Wang notice that the tree was laden with heavy clusters of fruit.
Unfortunately, Bo Wang didn't know how to climb trees. Just as he was lamenting this, Ning Xi nimbly scaled the tree and began picking the wild fruit with practiced ease.
Seeing this, Bo Wang quickly took off his windbreaker and held it out in his hands.
Ning Xi picked the wild fruit and tossed them down one by one.
After throwing down 99 fruits, Ning Xi jumped down from the three-meter-high tree trunk.
Bo Wang was startled and hurriedly wrapped the wild fruit in his windbreaker. Munching on the fruit, he followed Ning Xi out of the dense forest.
Around 7:30 p.m., with his legs sore and weak from walking, Bo Wang nearly wept with joy when he saw the lights of the tourist center at the foot of the mountain.
"Who's there?"
A staff member from the duty room opened the window and shone a flashlight on Bo Wang's face.
Bo Wang quickly covered his face with his hands.
Ning Xi responded crisply, "Uncle Xue, it's me, Ning Xi."
Uncle Xue hurriedly opened the door of the duty room and asked, "Little Xi, didn't your master go traveling again? Why are you coming down the mountain alone so late?"
Ning Xi explained, "Master said that once I turned 18, I could come down the mountain."
Uncle Xue suddenly understood, grinning as he said, "Oh, our Xiaoxi is all grown up now. Come in and sit down. You haven't had dinner yet, have you? Let me cook you a bowl of noodles as your longevity noodles."