Zhou Jiren put on his jacket, hiding those powerful lines of his body. Beisitian couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful. As soon as this feeling emerged, she smiled bitterly. It seemed she was beyond saving. How long had it been? She had already become so ’open’. Beisitian didn’t know if this was good or bad. Given the current environment, it shouldn’t be a big deal, as long as it wasn’t made public. But previously, she would have been ashamed, even if she was the only one who knew, it would still be a very embarrassing matter. The reason they needed to go to the mountain top was also because of the wolf dogs. In places , Beisitian felt it was better to travel together with the wolf dogs. The path wasn’t too winding. Beisitian, along with Zhou Jiren and ten wolf dogs, descended into the valley. The valley’s herbs were richer than she had imagined. Although many weren’t mature yet, having a place meant Beisitian would know where to gather herbs in the future. They wandered in the valley for most of the day, and Beisitian found several types of herbs she needed. Sadly, some were not fully mature, and their medicinal properties were a bit lacking, but that’s how it was. "What kind of herbs is Miss Bei gathering?" Zhou Jiren, not knowledgeable in this field, looked at those similar-looking grasses, unable to distinguish them. "For promoting circulation and nourishing the blood, relaxing tendons and activating collaterals." Beisitian carefully gathered an herb without harming the roots so it could grow again next year. Zhou Jiren remembered that last time she had bought this kind of medicine from him, which should be for rheumatic diseases. He frowned slightly. His father, in his fifties, already had these kinds of ailments. After leaving the valley, Beisitian felt a bit bewildered; she had gotten a bit turned around. "We should head north. Mr. Zhou, can you determine the direction?" Beisitian turned to ask Zhou Jiren. Zhou Jiren looked around but found that he also couldn’t distinguish directions. He hadn’t brought anything like a compass due to his hasty departure. After a while, Zhou Jiren smiled wryly, finding himself somewhat directionless as well. Beisitian didn’t necessarily have to go north. After some discussion, the two began to search nearby. If they could find a mountain stream, they’d find their direction. The two wandered the forest for two days and were basically out of supplies, even though Zhou Jiren was adept at his skills, wild rabbits weren’t something he could catch daily, and the wolf dogs seemed quite weary as well. Although the herbs weren’t fully collected, Beisitian was ready to head back. Being worn out in the deep mountains was not a good situation. Though their direction remained unchanged, returning wasn’t difficult. As long as the wolf dogs could find Zhou Tian’s place, they could make it back to the village easily. "It’d be best if we could find a cave for the night. Safety takes precedence for the last night." Zhou Jiren said. Beisitian agreed, and they searched for a possible cave while continuing their journey. After more than two hours, they hadn’t found a cave but did find a mountain stream. Beisitian was extremely delighted; they had run out of water, and had gotten through the morning relying on cold dew. She filled a water bottle to the brim. The stream water was icy cold, but drinking it was a refreshing indulgence for her. "There are fish in this stream," Zhou Jiren remarked, looking at the shimmering water. Following his gaze, Beisitian indeed saw hand-sized fish. They weren’t very plump but were certainly tempting. The two exchanged glances, each seeing the eagerness in the other’s eyes, and couldn’t help but smile at each other. Zhou Jiren found a thumb-thick branch and sharpened its tip with an outdoor knife, standing by the stream, aiming at those small hand-sized fish. "You won’t catch them like that," Beisitian said, arms crossed, standing aside. The wolf dogs scattered around, some on guard, some resting, some searching for food, making the atmosphere relatively relaxed. The stream wasn’t deep, with the deepest part reaching just up to the calves, allowing for a clear view of the bottom. Without saying a word, Zhou Jiren raised the sharpened ’fish spear,’ aimed at a leisurely swimming fish in the water, and thrust the ’spear’ out. Beisitian planned to watch him fail, but unexpectedly, he entered the water, raised the ’fish spear,’ and actually speared a fish on top! Beisitian raised an eyebrow, "Good aim!" The surface of the stream would refract sunlight, causing a deviation in perceived positions, which was why Beisitian said he wouldn’t catch fish that way. Zhou Jiren pulled the fish off and threw it on the shore, giving Beisitian a glance, with a slight curve of his lips. Seeing his expression, Beisitian refused to be outdone and sped up her work. When Zhou Jiren caught his third fish, Beisitian finally came to the riverside with a small cup of green liquid. "Excuse me, step aside," Beisitian tilted her chin at him, glancing over. Seeing this, Zhou Jiren took two steps back and stood by as she poured the green liquid into the stream. The fish swimming without any precautions suddenly flipped belly up, floating to the surface after passing through the green-stained water. "A temporary paralysis potion," Beisitian explained with a faint smile before looking back at the water. Sure enough, the belly-up fish remained afloat while the fish swimming beneath continued unaffected. "Mr. Zhou, could you help me fetch them?" Beisitian mimicked his earlier expression, her lips curving upwards. Newest update provıded by 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅•𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾•𝗇𝖾𝗍 Zhou Jiren chuckled at her charming demeanor and entered the water to retrieve the fish, bringing up a total of eight! The two grilled the fish by the stream, each little fish crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Zhou Jiren sprinkled the remaining seasoning, and they ate contentedly. They were in luck. After eating, they began to search for a cave and soon found a suitable one. Although it was small, it was quite dry and showed no signs of animal tracks. From time to time, Beisitian glanced at Zhou Jiren. Earlier, when he went into the water to catch the fish, because he was quite close, she noticed something strange about his face but couldn’t pinpoint what it was. As dusk fell, Zhou Jiren started a fire inside the cave. With the wolf dogs guarding the entrance, they could have a peaceful sleep. Noticing Beisitian frequently looking at him, Zhou Jiren raised his head and asked with a smile, "Is there something on my face?" Caught on the spot, Beisitian felt a bit awkward. "Nothing." They would be heading back tomorrow, so their conversation was brief, and they went to sleep early, fully dressed. In the middle of the night, Beisitian opened her eyes. The campfire was still burning, though its flames had diminished. She added two piles of dry branches. Using the opportunity to add firewood, she moved closer to Zhou Jiren. Getting nearer, Beisitian finally realized what was off about Zhou Jiren. Zhou Jiren’s eyebrow ends drooped, and the drooping arch was pronounced, lending him an aged appearance. His eyes were large and expressive, but the eyebrows stole the sparkle from them.