My heart was filled with a mix of emotions, perhaps a sense of guilt stemming from the lie I told Lin Xian'er. I took a deep breath and patted my head. Today marks the tenth day we've been stranded on this deserted island. We are not without worries; there are many issues that await our resolution, and now is not the time to dwell on them. I quickened my pace, fetched fresh water from the pool, and then returned to the cave. Wang Yan was there preparing breakfast. "How are our food supplies?" I asked after setting down the water container. "There are twenty-three smoked fish, ten bird eggs, some flat-stemmed vine fruits, some coconuts, and three bamboo rats left," Wang Yan replied. "We should be able to hold out for another three days." Xia Lan and the others returned with firewood, and everyone sat down around the fire. I glanced at Lin Xian'er; she gave me a tight-lipped smile, seemingly having bought into my lie. Regardless, I need to maintain a balance in my relationships with these five women for now. After all, if we want to leave this deserted island, we must stand united. Once our relationships collapse, I dare not imagine what might happen next. Wang Yan briefed us on the food reserves, and after taking a sip of coconut water, I said, "We've been eating too well these past two days. Starting today, we need to be more frugal." Zhang Xi'er looked a bit despondent as she looked at me and said, "Brother Lu Yuan, you must have a way to get more food, right?" Wang Yan glanced at Zhang Xi'er and said, "Hunting is a matter of luck; our fortune cannot always be so good."

Xia Lan nodded and said, 'It's better to be frugal. We don't know what will happen next.' I glanced at Lin Xian'er and Jiang Dandan. Lin Xian'er nodded without saying anything, indicating her agreement with Xia Lan's statement. Jiang Dandan shrugged and said, 'Don't be so negative. We still have plenty of food. We can't work on an empty stomach.' Zhang Xi'er nodded in agreement, saying, 'Yes! Yes!' Wang Yan glanced at Jiang Dandan with a look of disgust. This young lady hadn't done much work these past two days, preferring to pick clams, and could be said to be lazy whenever she could get away with it. Jiang Dandan looked back at Wang Yan unflinchingly and asked, 'What's the meaning of looking at me like that?' Just as Wang Yan was about to speak, I grabbed her arm and said, 'Starting today, we'll have two meals a day, morning and evening. If we get hungry in between, we can use coconuts to stave it off. This way, we save food and have more time for other things.' I looked around at everyone and asked, 'Does anyone have any objections?' Wang Yan and Xia Lan both nodded in agreement. Zhang Xi'er looked reluctant, but Jiang Dandan glanced at her and then at me, saying, 'It's just one meal. There are bird eggs on the cliffs and sturgeon in the river. If we eat simply, it won't take long.' The calm Lin Xian'er suddenly spoke up, 'Bird eggs will eventually hatch into chicks, and sturgeon will eventually end their migration. What will we do then?'

Jiang Dandan glanced at Lin Xian'er, who met her gaze and continued, 'We must build the fence as soon as possible; we don't know when the savages might appear.' Upon hearing the word 'savages,' Wang Yan's expression clearly tightened, and both Xia Lan and Zhang Xi'er lowered their heads and fell silent, as did Jiang Dandan. Lin Xian'er had voiced what everyone was deeply worried about but had been deliberately ignoring. 'Alright, I'll arrange today's tasks,' I said. Everyone turned to look at me. I glanced at Wang Yan and Jiang Dandan and said, 'You two will come with me to the bamboo forest to carry bamboo today, no objections, right?' Wang Yan nodded; after all, it was Xia Lan and Lin Xian'er who went yesterday, so it should be their turn today. Jiang Dandan glared at me, the threat in her eyes unmistakable. 'You can choose not to go, but you won't get any food tonight,' I said coldly. Jiang Dandan snorted and said, 'It's just carrying bamboo, who hasn't done that?' I looked at Xia Lan and said, 'You take Lin Xian'er and Zhang Xi'er to gather vines; we're running low on rope.' Xia Lan nodded, and I handed her the machete. After finishing breakfast, we each went our separate ways to do our tasks. I led Jiang Dandan and Wang Yan towards the bamboo forest. Jiang Dandan deliberately walked behind us, while Wang Yan walked beside me. 'You should have seen Jiang Dandan's temper these past few days; avoid conflict with her if you can,' I said softly, glancing at Wang Yan. Wang Yan snorted and said, 'I just can't stand her ways!' 'Take a step back, and the sea and sky are boundless.'

“I said,” you should know that we want to leave this deserted island, and the strength of any one person is extremely precious.” Wang Yan took a deep breath, her expression easing a bit, and said, “I understand, I’ll try my best not to conflict with her.” I looked back and saw Jiang Dandan chewing gum far behind us, taking in the surroundings. “Jiang Dandan, hurry up and catch up with us!” I shouted. Jiang Dandan waved her hand and shouted, “It’s okay, I just didn’t want to disturb you and your old flame from whispering sweet nothings!” Wang Yan’s face instantly turned ugly, and I was speechless; Jiang Dandan was truly a troublemaker. Seeing Wang Yan’s angry face, I coughed deliberately and said, “What she said is true.” Wang Yan’s cheeks instantly flushed a layer of red, and she stammered, “It wasn’t me who treated you that way at the time, I couldn’t help it, but...” Her voice grew softer as she spoke, looking coquettish and charming. I swallowed saliva, feeling an unconscious reaction below; Wang Yan was indeed a beauty, if... “Wang Yan, it’s undeniable, you are truly captivating,” I said. Wang Yan glanced at me and asked, “What about compared to Xia Lan? And Lin Xian'er?” I choked on my saliva and started coughing violently. Looking at her, I said, “Each of you has your own charm, and you give me different feelings.” Wang Yan pursed her lips and smiled, saying, “It seems you are quite popular with women.” I was surprised and looked at Wang Yan, “What do you mean by that?”

"Zhang Xi'er doesn't just see you as an older brother; I think she has feelings for you," Wang Yan said. "And when you and Zhang Xi'er are affectionate, Lin Xian'er gets jealous. I can tell."

I was silent for a moment before saying, "Maybe it's because I saved them, maybe..."

Wang Yan looked at me and asked, "Maybe what?"

I looked back at Wang Yan and said, "Maybe I'm the only man on this island."

Wang Yan is a smart woman; she naturally picked up on the implications of my words, "Lu Yuan, women are very complicated creatures."