Chapter 35: I Also Think I’m Quite Gentle

What kind of image is created when a majestic beast stands behind a beautiful woman?

If this were seen on television, people might stop to appreciate it, praising the harmony and beauty of the scene.

But when this scene played out vividly right before their eyes… there was nothing beautiful about it!

The crowd, who had been scurrying like headless flies after hearing that tiger’s roar, seemed to have been hit by a freezing spell the moment they heard Qiao Yitong’s voice and saw the scene before them. Their scalps tingled, and cold sweat drenched their backs.

As an adventure blogger, Shisan had encountered danger several times before.

During one of his bigger stunts, he had come across a leopard in the North American wilderness.

At the time, it looked like a solo private adventure, but in reality, he had an entire team stationed just out of camera range.

When the leopard appeared and spotted them, just as it was about to attack, a security member behind him had simply raised a tranquilizer gun and fired.

He was safe.

Afterward, the cameraman filmed some footage of him gasping for breath, some shaky shots of him “running for his life,” and then filmed the leopard lying unconscious on the ground.

With a bit of editing, it presented an image of him having survived a harrowing battle.

But only the people on that team knew the truth of what had actually happened.

Now, however, he was facing a tiger at such close range.

Shisan’s hand, which had been mid-gesture while commanding the crowd, froze in the air. He slowly turned his head to look at the fierce beast and subconsciously swallowed hard.

He tried his absolute best to control his trembling legs as he took a step back.

Right now, he didn’t have a capable team, nor did he have any weapons to fight with. If this tiger…

At the same time, a deep sense of confusion rose in his heart.

Why wasn’t this tiger attacking Qiao Yitong and Lu Cheng? It didn’t make sense!

Peppa Lamb felt the same way.

He knew that his relationship with Qiao Yitong had long since become irreconcilable; the two of them were like fire and water, completely incompatible.

If Qiao Yitong did well, he was destined to be devoured by the very things he had once used to curse her.

Therefore, he was arguably the person in the group who least wanted to see Qiao Yitong succeed.

But now, watching Qiao Yitong and the tiger appear together, his eyes bulged, his mouth hung slightly open, and his breathing became rapid.

Peppa Lamb’s scalp felt numb. The sheer deterrent force of the tiger’s sudden appearance caused his body to recoil uncontrollably, stumbling as he nearly fell over.

He cherished his life; he didn’t want to die. He had only come here for the money and had no intention of losing his life in this place.

At the same time, his gaze was fixed on Qiao Yitong with a mix of bewilderment and resentment. Qiao Yitong had brought the tiger here, yet the question circling endlessly in his mind was: Why isn’t the tiger attacking her?

Currently, no one could give them an answer.

Qiao Yitong’s indifferent gaze swept over them, finally landing on Lu Cheng, who was standing not far away.

Lu Cheng was extremely nervous, swallowing hard. “Sis… Sister Yitong, this is…”

But before he could finish, his anxiety overwhelmed everything else.

“Sister Yitong, how about you come over here first?”

He didn’t know how Qiao Yitong had managed to get a tiger to follow her without attacking, but seeing such a massive tiger circling near her, who wouldn’t be terrified?

Qiao Yitong nodded and pointed to the wild boar beside her. “Help me drag this over.”

She wanted to take the opportunity to wash her hands nearby.

Only after Qiao Yitong spoke did everyone’s gaze shift downward, belatedly noticing the wild boar.

Everyone’s eyes went wide again.

Wait, why did she drag a wild boar back too?

How did she get this boar? Did she and Deng You hunt it together? How was that possible? It was more believable to think they had snatched it from the tiger’s mouth.

No, even if they looked at it that way, it was even more ridiculous!

After Qiao Yitong appeared with Big Orange and the wild boar and spoke those words, the crowd’s attention was instantly captivated, and the base fell into a deathly silence.

Lu Cheng had lost the ability to think. He stepped forward woodenly, following Qiao Yitong’s instructions, and took the wild boar from her.

Like a mindless puppet, he obediently began dragging the boar toward the base.

The Doctor’s gaze fell upon the two of them, observing them briefly.

Qiao Yitong looked fine.

However, Deng You, who followed behind, was a mess. His clothes were disheveled, his hair was a bird’s nest, and there were scratches on his face from tree branches.

The Doctor lowered his eyes and asked with some concern, “Are you two injured?”

Qiao Yitong shook her head and turned to wash her hands.

The Doctor turned his gaze toward the much more disheveled Deng You, asking silently.

Deng You gave a bitter smile and waved his hand, his voice still trembling slightly. “I’m not hurt. I just took a few tumbles because Big Orange scared me. That’s why I look so pathetic.”

After saying this, he glanced at Big Orange with lingering fear, only to see Big Orange tilt its head, give him an incredibly haughty look, and then turn to stroll away coolly to find Qiao Yitong.

Deng You: “…”

He felt like his status had plummeted significantly.

The conversation between them reached the audience’s ears with perfect clarity, and the Live Stream Room instantly exploded.

[!!! They went through a battle, and then both of them came back unscathed?]

[What on earth happened? Deng You is terrified. I feel like something earth-shattering must have happened in Area C while we weren’t watching!]

[No kidding! They got a wild boar and a tiger. Is it possible for nothing big to have happened?]

[Production team, hurry up and explain! I’m dying of curiosity. This show is getting more and more intense!]

[I’m willing to pay ten bucks to see the Area C footage.]

[+1 for paying to see the video. Production team, you’d better be smart. Your chance for massive wealth is here; whether you can grab it depends on whether you dare to release the video!]

Because of this exchange, the bullet screen comments saw another explosive surge.

By now, Qiao Yitong had finished washing her hands and returned.

Big Orange followed her lazily at a short distance, staying by her side.

As for the nervous and panicked expressions of the others upon seeing Big Orange, Qiao Yitong saw them, but she simply ignored them.

However, standing before her were Qi Qing and the Doctor, which came as a slight surprise.

From the state the three of them were in just now, she guessed they had been about to set out to find her.

She wasn’t surprised that Lu Cheng would come looking for them, but the fact that Qi Qing and the Doctor were joining him truly exceeded her expectations.

Regardless of the reason, this was a gesture of concern, a proactive display of goodwill from others.

It was a kind of goodwill that was almost never seen in her past life.

In that world, offering kindness too easily often resulted in being cast into an abyss.

Having grown accustomed to living in a cold, indifferent world, the appearance of pure kindness made one cherish it all the more.

Qiao Yitong was no exception.

Feeling a strange flutter in her heart from this kindness, she looked at the two of them and said, “Follow me.”

The two of them froze.

Qiao Yitong, however, had already walked away.

Qi Qing finally snapped out of it completely. Seeing that Qiao Yitong was safe and sound, her tense nerves instantly relaxed, and she let out a long sigh of relief.

She took two steps forward, instinctively following Qiao Yitong’s words as she headed toward the base.

As they walked, the bangs on her forehead fell slightly out of place.

Having gone many days without a chance to properly wash, she couldn’t help but frown deeply.

Feeling a sense of self-loathing and irritation, she pushed her hair back up. If it weren’t for the fact that she had an event immediately after leaving this island, she would have truly loved to just shave her head bald.

But this movement was noticed by Qiao Yitong.

Qiao Yitong didn’t speak immediately. When the group returned to the base, she stood there gazing at her Bamboo House, looking momentarily conflicted and hesitant.

Qi Qing had been lost in thought the whole way. When they came to a halt, she stared at Qiao Yitong’s back and opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to say something. However, she felt that expressing concern now—saying things like “I thought you were in danger and was planning to rescue you, I’m glad you’re okay”—would sound like she was fishing for credit or being too forward. After a moment of hesitation, she chose silence.

She kept her head slightly lowered. The knot in her heart, formed by her silence when Qiao Yitong was being attacked upon first arriving on the island, still hadn’t dissipated.

Qiao Yitong pondered for a long while before finally finding the answer in her heart.

She suddenly turned around and looked at Qi Qing. “You’re uncomfortable and want to shower, right? Use my place.”

“Huh?”

Qi Qing whipped her head around, her eyes wide with shock. Her mouth hung open slightly, and for a moment, she was speechless.

What… what did she just hear?

Was she hallucinating?

Otherwise, how could she hear words that usually only appeared in her dreams?

Qiao Yitong didn’t offer further explanation. She turned and walked toward her residence.

Qi Qing stood rooted to the spot for several seconds before reacting, almost jogging to keep up.

Arriving in front of Qiao Yitong’s Bamboo House, she still found it hard to believe. Her voice carried a hint of hesitation as she asked, “Can I really?”

If it were anything else that seemed too intrusive, she would have chosen to refuse directly.

But on this Deserted Island, being able to have a proper wash was her greatest need. She truly couldn’t bring herself to say no.

Qiao Yitong nodded slightly, her expression calm. “Clean up after you’re done.”

With that, she opened the door and left, not staying there to put any pressure on Qi Qing.

Qi Qing’s eyes reddened slightly as a mist of tears welled up. She blinked hard and whispered a soft “Thank you.”

Then, taking a deep breath to suppress the complex emotions in her heart, she stepped into the Bamboo House.

The layout inside the Bamboo House was even better than she had imagined.

Not only was the entire floor covered in smooth bamboo planks, but there was even a handmade bamboo bed.

On one side of the room stood a table covered in various jars and bottles polished from bamboo, containing unknown substances.

Qi Qing only took a quick glance before immediately averting her eyes.

Qiao Yitong was only letting her use the room for a shower.

Looking too much would be an intrusion.

She hurried to a corner where Qiao Yitong had actually prepared a dedicated showering area—a small, separate cubicle with a complete drainage system.

There were even bamboo partitions to prevent water from splashing outside.

Here, she didn’t have to worry about the omnipresent cameras or be on guard against the group of male teammates.

In such a completely private and safe space, she could finally wash away the filth from her body.

As the mud was rinsed away and her body regained that sense of freshness, a mixture of happiness, gratitude, regret, and apology flooded Qi Qing’s heart.

Finally, she could no longer hold it back. Tears burst from her eyes and streamed down her face.

After leaving, Qiao Yitong began making arrangements for Big Orange.

She remembered her past life, when she had taken Big Orange to play in a rare bamboo forest. Big Orange had loved that forest dearly.

After playing for half a day, the cat had been reluctant to leave.

She didn’t know what the Big Orange of this life would like.

As it turned out, the moment she brought Big Orange to the bamboo grove, the tiger showed unprecedented excitement.

The way it ran and jumped was no different from its past life.

A smile finally curled at the corners of Qiao Yitong’s lips.

It seemed Big Orange was still the same Big Orange. Although it had no memories of the past in this life, its habits were entirely preserved.

What was also preserved was likely its instinctive closeness to her.

Thus, she gathered some bamboo and, using her skilled techniques, began to build an elevated resting platform.

Nearby, Lu Cheng and Deng You watched from a distance.

The tiger’s appearance had truly terrified them.

However, watching Qiao Yitong work there all by herself made them feel guilty.

Finally, the two of them looked at each other, seeing the same thought in each other’s eyes.

They had to help.

“You go first,” Lu Cheng nudged Deng You with his elbow.

Deng You refused.

Never mind that he had followed Sister Tong and Big Orange all the way back; he was still scared out of his wits.

“No way. You’re familiar with it, you go first,” Lu Cheng insisted.

“Heh, I thought you were so brave in front of Sister Tong, but it turns out you’re a coward too. Fine, I’ll go first,” Deng You said, making a move to step forward.

Sure enough, Lu Cheng was instantly provoked by those words.

“Wait, forget it. With those skinny arms and legs of yours, you look malnourished. One roar from that thing and you’d probably drop dead. I’ll go first,” Lu Cheng said.

Having said his piece, he didn’t give Deng You any chance to argue. He began to edge forward, inching closer with extreme caution.

He had the courage to talk big.

He did not, however, have the courage to actually stride forward.

And so, the two of them moved in single file, dawdling and creeping along with gingerly steps.

This scene fell right into Big Orange’s eyes. As the tiger watched them, its expression seemed to be one of mockery.

Lu Cheng: “…”

“Do you get the feeling it’s laughing at us?” Lu Cheng asked, his tone grave.

Deng You: “Yes.”

Lu Cheng took a deep breath. Fine, great. Now even a little tiger that Sister Tong just picked up was taking turns mocking him.

He felt it was necessary to show this little tiger which of them was actually the senior here.

Lu Cheng squared his shoulders, puffed out his chest, and marched heroically toward Qiao Yitong and the tiger.

He had only taken two steps when Big Orange suddenly let out a roar at them.

The roar wasn’t particularly powerful, yet it still scared the two of them so much that they instinctively spun around to bolt.

Watching the reaction of these two humans, Big Orange looked quite smug, like a child who had successfully pulled off a prank.

Qiao Yitong, alerted by Big Orange’s antics, looked over at the pair.

Then she gently patted Big Orange on the head. “Big Orange, stop playing around.”

Big Orange obediently pulled back, rubbing against Qiao Yitong affectionately.

After soothing the tiger, Qiao Yitong said to the two men, “Come over here.”

Lu Cheng and Deng You came over to help. After that little display, they were still somewhat afraid of Big Orange, but seeing how calm Qiao Yitong was, they summoned their courage and joined in.

Big Orange stayed to the side, obediently refraining from scaring them again.

It paced around nearby, watching them work and occasionally rubbing its head against Qiao Yitong’s arm. In just half a day, it had become increasingly clingy.

Within ten minutes, the platform was finished.

Big Orange jumped up excitedly, circled around a few times, and then lay down comfortably.

It let out a satisfied purr and a lazy stretch before jumping off the platform. It circled Qiao Yitong twice, signaling for her to come join it.

Qiao Yitong stroked its back and said, “You play first. Don’t go over there; they’re quite timid. Don’t scare them.”

The “timid” Lu Cheng and Deng You: “…”

While Sister Tong wasn’t wrong, hearing it put that way felt a bit uncomfortable.

Big Orange also put on a pitiful look; it could tell she was about to leave.

Qiao Yitong rubbed its head again to comfort it, then returned to the front of the base with Deng You and Lu Cheng.

Qi Qing had already finished her shower and come out, looking clean and refreshed.

She was grateful that she had worn so many layers when she first arrived on the island. By taking one outfit apart into two, she was able to have something to change into while washing the other, ensuring she had clean clothes to wear after her bath.

Seeing her come out, Qiao Yitong nodded without saying much and walked into the room.

Everything inside the room was exactly as it had been before, without the slightest sign of having been disturbed.

The only thing that showed signs of use was the makeshift bathroom she had built.

Furthermore, after Qi Qing finished using it, she had cleaned it thoroughly just as requested. The water had already been drained, and she had opened the window for ventilation, so there wasn’t the slightest odor in the room.

Qiao Yitong breathed a sigh of relief, feeling satisfied.

Though she had prepared herself mentally when she lent the room to Qi Qing—even being ready to accept it if it was left in a mess—seeing how careful Qi Qing had been and how much she valued the Bamboo House made her very pleased.

In the bamboo buckets nearby, Qi Qing had already refilled and brought back two fresh buckets of water after using hers.

Everything had been restored to its original state.

Qiao Yitong relaxed and took a quick shower herself.

Although she could use Spiritual Power to cleanse her body directly, using Spiritual Power was different from using water.

This traditional method of cleaning always brought a special sense of well-being.

While Qiao Yitong was still showering, Lu Cheng and Deng You returned to the camp. The Doctor had helped reignite the campfire and set it up. As the three of them sat by the fire with nothing to do, Lu Cheng began asking Deng You about their experiences in Area C.

Qi Qing’s hair was still damp, but hearing the topic, she was drawn over and sat down quietly to listen.

Deng You had already recovered from his initial fright.

He gave a vivid description of how Qiao Yitong had defeated the enemy in a single move, easily taking down a two-hundred-pound wild boar, how they had encountered Big Orange, and how this King of the Jungle had miraculously followed them back.

Being a pure science and engineering student, his storytelling lacked any embellishment; it was a completely raw narrative.

Yet it was these very descriptions that left everyone dumbfounded.

How did this sound so much like a fantasy story?

Was he really not making this up?

In the Live Stream Room, the viewers’ comments were rolling by like a surging tide.

• Are… are we sure he’s not making up a story? I’m not well-educated, don’t lie to me¹! –

• A two-hundred-pound wild boar taken down in one move? And a tiger obediently following them? This plot is more ridiculous than a novel! –

• I seriously suspect Deng You was scared into having hallucinations. This doesn’t fit common sense at all! –

• To the person above, how do you explain the fact that Qiao Yitong actually brought a wild boar and a tiger back? That’s a hard fact! –

• Exactly, don’t doubt it. Think about it—from the start of this show, whether it was hitting coconuts with shells or building a bamboo house with her bare hands, Qiao Yitong has been creating miracles since she joined. This time might be no exception! –

• It feels like this show has transcended the scope of a normal Survival Variety Show. It’s practically a fantasy blockbuster! –

• Ahhh! I’m going crazy! I really want to see what happened over there! I want to see it so bad! Production team, are you guys even capable? Can’t you do your jobs for once! –

No matter how much the netizens roared, the production team simply didn’t have the footage.

Never mind the netizens—the staff were anxious too!

They couldn’t understand who this Qiao Yitong really was or how she had managed to cause such a massive commotion inside.

The netizens were all clamoring to buy the video footage.

If it were possible to buy it, wouldn’t the production team have spent the money long ago?

Even Director Song was currently drowning in regret. Why had he hesitated back then and decided against filling Area C with cameras?

If he hadn’t been so focused on cutting costs and had installed cameras in Area C, wouldn’t the footage be a guaranteed viral hit right now?

Regret. If anyone asked, he was exceptionally regretful.

When Qiao Yitong returned from her shower, the group was in the middle of a lively conversation.

She sat down casually to the side, listening to Deng You boast loudly about everything they had seen on the road. She didn’t say much, choosing instead to listen quietly.

She found this peaceful atmosphere quite comfortable. Sitting together and chatting, feeling the harmony of an environment where no one needed to be on guard, where everyone was honest and at ease, was a pleasant experience for her.

The moment was interrupted when Qi Qing’s stomach gave a loud growl, making her look incredibly embarrassed.

When food was being distributed to the team earlier today, she had been so worried about Qiao Yitong that she had run off to find Lu Cheng.

As a result, she hadn’t eaten anything yet.

The sudden sound of her stomach was making her feel quite awkward.

Hearing this, Qiao Yitong stood up. She looked at Qi Qing and said, “Let’s get ready to cook.”

At the mention of cooking, Lu Cheng, whose appetite had been thoroughly whetted by Qiao Yitong’s culinary skills lately, immediately grew excited.

“What do you need me to do? I’ll be your assistant,” Lu Cheng offered.

Qiao Yitong nodded. “I have tasks for you.”

A wild boar was full of treasures, and every part needed to be handled with care.

Doing all these tedious tasks alone would be a hassle.

It was good to have someone to share the load.

Seeing Deng You and Lu Cheng naturally step in to help Qiao Yitong, a flicker of envy flashed in Qi Qing’s eyes.

At the same time, there was an inadvertent sense of awkwardness.

It was like being a guest at a friend’s house; when the host starts cooking, for someone who hasn’t been officially invited to stay, it’s practically a signal to leave.

Qi Qing cast a lingering, reluctant glance at the wild boar. Truthfully, she was craving it too.

However, it didn’t feel appropriate.

“I… I should head back,” Qi Qing said as the others stood up.

Hearing this, Qiao Yitong frowned slightly, looking confused. “You don’t like pork?”

“Huh?” Qi Qing looked up and shook her head. “No, it’s just that I thought…”

“Do you want to stay?” Qiao Yitong asked.

Qi Qing hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“Then stay if you want to,” Qiao Yitong said.

A flash of surprise and joy lit up Qi Qing’s eyes, but she asked uncertainly, “I… I can?”

“Why couldn’t you?” Qiao Yitong countered. She didn’t quite understand the logic of the people in this world.

She had already given her explicit permission.

“I thought…” Qi Qing started, clearly not expecting things to go this way.

Qiao Yitong tilted her head, looking at her with confusion. “Hmm?”

Qi Qing felt guilty for her previous assumptions and said in a low, sheepish voice, “I thought you were difficult to get along with.”

After all, back when she was with Shisan, the evaluations she heard about her were usually…

Qiao Yitong paused for a moment, then turned to look at Lu Cheng and Deng You. “Am I difficult to get along with?”

She asked the question so bluntly that it carried an unintended air of intimidation.

The two men immediately shook their heads.

“Sister Tong, don’t listen to them. I think you’re very easy to get along with,” Lu Cheng said firmly, his nervousness even causing him to use formal honorifics.

Deng You chimed in desperately, “Exactly. Sister Tong, you’ve always been very friendly.”

He used the formal register as well.

Hearing their confirmed answers, Qiao Yitong nodded slightly.

That sounded right.

In her understanding, based on the original owner’s consciousness, it was better to treat people kindly in this world.

Furthermore, the original owner’s personality had always been gentle and friendly.

Qiao Yitong felt she had inherited that aspect quite well.

“I also feel that I’ve been acting quite gentle. It’s good to know my judgment wasn’t wrong,” Qiao Yitong replied with a calm expression.

That simple sentence immediately struck everyone dumb.

Ultimately, it was the viewers in the bullet chat who broke first.

• Wait, someone tell me where she gets the confidence to call herself gentle! Sister Tong has this aura of natural authority, cold and domineering. How does any of that link up with the word “gentle”?!

Translator’s Notes