29: Princess Carry

The night passed without incident.

The next morning, the sky was bright.

When Lin Mo and Gu Zhixia arrived at the restaurant, a luxurious breakfast, an artistic masterpiece, was already neatly arranged on the table.

Golden-fried eggs rested on crispy toast, next to several sizzling slices of pan-fried bacon, emitting a sinfully delicious aroma.

In the center of the dining table, two cups of warm milk steamed with wisps of white vapor.

Most special was a small dish of pre-cut fruit salad, mixed with an unfamiliar blue berry.

Lin Mo only took one glance and knew the value of this breakfast.

In a world where everyone was still struggling for a single compressed biscuit, this was simply an emperor's enjoyment.

He sat down and tasted a bite of the fried egg; it was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and the yolk was still a tempting runny center.

System Prompt: You have consumed Gu Nianqiu's meticulously prepared 'Energetic Breakfast' (a-rank cuisine). All attributes temporarily +3, lasting 8 hours.

Gu Zhixia, however, seemed much more particular.

She poked the bacon with a silver fork and then examined the color of the toast.

"Too much oil, it's fattening."

Though she grumbled, her actions were honest; she elegantly cut a small piece and put it in her mouth, her chewing motions exuding a pleasing composure.

But her slightly narrowed phoenix eyes and the unconsciously slowed eating pace had already betrayed her inner enjoyment.

Gu Nianqiu, wearing her cute lace apron, stood with her hands behind her back, like a kitten waiting for praise, looking at them with expectant eyes.

"How is it? Is it good? I found those blueberries in yesterday's supply crate!"

"Of course it's delicious. How could Nianqiu's cooking not be delicious?" Lin Mo praised.

After finishing their last bite, the two prepared to depart.

Before leaving, Gu Nianqiu opened her arms and first hugged her older sister tightly.

"Sister, you must be careful!"

"I know. You be careful too, okay?" Gu Zhixia patted her back, her eyes incredibly soft.

Then, Gu Nianqiu trotted over to Lin Mo and gave him a big hug too.

The girl's soft body carried a sweet, milky scent. She looked up with her small face, her voice soft and sweet.

"Brother Mo, you must be careful too. You must bring Sister back safely!"

"Mm." Lin Mo responded.

Standing nearby, Gu Zhixia saw her sister hugging Lin Mo, and her beautiful brows subtly twitched.

Her lips moved, as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she only let out a barely audible "Hmph" before turning her head away, no longer looking at them.

Lin Mo refilled his pistol magazine and took forty spare bullets from the ammunition crafted at the workbench, putting them in his pocket.

Gu Zhixia carried her Six-Harmony Long Spear, its cold shaft reflecting a sharp light in the morning sun.

The two stood side by side on the deck. Lin Mo operated the Natural Selection, docking it on a flat sandy beach.

According to the information provided by the captain of the "Koi Squad" yesterday, the fruit of wisdom grew on a large tree near the central area of the island.

The two stepped onto the soft sand and cautiously advanced towards the dense forest deep within the island.

The trees were dense, blocking out the sky.

The air was filled with a damp smell, mixed with earth and humus.

The surroundings were eerily quiet; only the rustling sound of their footsteps on fallen leaves could be heard.

Both of them were on high alert, carefully observing their surroundings.

Just as they passed through a thicket, a sudden change occurred!

A dark green vine, as thick as an arm, shot out from underground without warning, like a venomous snake lurking in the shadows!

Its speed was extreme, instantly coiling around Gu Zhixia's calf!

"Look out!"

Before Lin Mo's words had even finished, the vine suddenly exerted force, and a huge power came, directly pulling Gu Zhixia into the air!

Gu Zhixia reacted extremely quickly, instinctively wanting to swing her long spear to cut the vine.

But the vine's strength was surprisingly great; she was in mid-air, with nowhere to exert leverage, and her body instantly lost balance.

"Bang!"

A crisp gunshot broke the silence of the jungle.

Lin Mo's reaction speed had reached inhuman levels.

The moment the vine pulled Gu Zhixia up, he had already raised his pistol, aimed, and fired. The entire action was seamless, without any hesitation.

The bullet accurately hit the base of the vine wrapped around Gu Zhixia's leg.

Green sap burst out, and the tough vine snapped instantly!

Her uncontrolled body began to fall rapidly from a height of over three meters.

Gu Zhixia's pupils contracted, and she instinctively closed her eyes, preparing for a violent impact.

However, the expected pain did not come.

She fell into a firm and warm embrace.

Lin Mo rushed forward with a single stride, catching her steadily in his arms the second before Gu Zhixia hit the ground.

A standard princess carry.

Gu Zhixia was completely stunned.

She opened her eyes blankly, and what met her gaze was Lin Mo's distinct face, so close.

She could clearly feel the steady heartbeat from the man's chest and the undeniable strength that transmitted through his clothing.

A faint, clean, pleasant scent lingered at the tip of her nose.

At this moment, time seemed to slow down.

The surrounding dangers, the eerie jungle, all seemed to drift away from her.

She only felt that this embrace was the safest place in the entire world.

After a while, she suddenly came back to her senses, her pretty face flushing crimson like a ripe apple.

She frantically patted Lin Mo's chest, her voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

"Put... put me down."

Lin Mo gently put her down.

After Gu Zhixia stood firm, her face still felt hot, and her heart pounded uncontrollably.

She didn't dare to look into Lin Mo's eyes. She lowered her head and swung her long spear, fiercely slicing the half-severed vine still wrapped around her ankle into pieces.

After doing all this, she took a deep breath, composed herself, and looked up.

"Just now... thank you."

Her voice still carried a hint of coolness, but if one listened carefully, a trace of almost imperceptible awkwardness could be heard.

"You saved me again."

Lin Mo merely nodded, his gaze sharply scanning the ground around them.

"Let's be careful. The plants on this island are not right."

The two continued to walk side by side.

This time, Gu Zhixia was noticeably more cautious, almost walking glued to Lin Mo, deliberately staying away from oddly shaped plants with every step.

With the previous lesson, her vigilance was at its highest.

Along the way, there were several more vine attacks.

But this time, before Lin Mo could act, Gu Zhixia had already reacted.

Her Six-Harmony Long Spear danced with impressive force, its shadow flashing. Without exception, all the vines attacking from various tricky angles were cleanly cut in half by her.

Green sap splattered everywhere.

Just as they were about to exit this vine-infested area.

Suddenly, from a patch of flowers ahead, came a dense "whoosh, whoosh, whoosh" sound of something cutting through the air!

Dozens of plant thorns, like steel needles, shot towards them in a torrent!

Their speed was faster than bullets!

"Watch out!"

Lin Mo's pupils contracted abruptly. He shouted, without time to think, and instinctively grabbed Gu Zhixia beside him, pulling her fiercely behind a large tree, thick enough for two people to embrace.