106: vacation

Finally, An Lan fell asleep.

Lu Fan watched with a hint of envy; it seemed girls really were more heat-tolerant than boys.

Back in his own room, Lu Fan tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

"It's too hot to sleep, I'll go out to cool off."

Outside, the night was as thick as ink, the moonlight obscured by heavy clouds, with only a few stars occasionally twinkling through the gaps.

Relying on his familiarity with the surroundings, Lu Fan jogged all the way to the nearby Spring Eye.

Along the way, the chirping of insects in the grass rose and fell, as if performing a unique symphony for this sweltering night.

By the time he reached the Spring Eye, the moonlight finally peeked out from the clouds, illuminating everything around.

The Spring Eye wasn't large, gurgling with clear spring water that shimmered under the moonlight.

Lu Fan couldn't wait to dip his basin into the spring water; with a "splash," the cool water instantly filled the basin.

He reached out to scoop up the spring water and splashed it on his face and neck. That cool sensation instantly dispelled the heat from his body, making him shiver involuntarily.

He simply took off his shirt, used the basin to scoop up the spring water, and poured it over his head. The water flowed down his chest and abdomen, carrying away the heat and fatigue.

While cooling off, he muttered, "Now this is what I call comfortable. That heat was killing me."

The ice-cold spring water hit his body with a "pitter-patter" sound, as if engaging in a fierce battle against the sweltering weather.

After cooling off, Lu Fan felt completely refreshed, as if he were filled with energy once again.

The next day, as soon as the scorching sun showed its face, it unsparingly poured its passion onto this Deserted Island.

The temperature continued to rise, as if it were about to set the entire world on fire.

The contestants from other countries were tormented by the high temperature, appearing listless one by one.

Faced with this intense heat, they seemed to have had their backbones removed, slumping helplessly in their respective Shelters, trying to find a hint of coolness.

On the other hand, things were exceptionally pleasant for Lu Fan and An Lan.

Last night's wash made Lu Fan fully appreciate the wonders of coolness, so he went back to the Spring Eye early in the morning to fetch some water.

Back at the Shelter, Lu Fan took some ice cubes out of the storage room and put some into the water.

An Lan took out yesterday's grapes.

She skillfully washed the grapes, then put them into a ceramic bowl and added ice cubes. Before long, the Chilled Grapes were ready.

Each grape was frozen hard. With one bite, the sweet and sour juice instantly burst in her mouth, mixing with the coolness of the ice—it was simply a heavenly delicacy.

"An Lan, try this, Fruit Smoothie."

Lu Fan held a bowl containing a smoothie he had just whipped up using ice cubes and some wild fruits.

Holding a chopstick in his hand like a professional dessert chef, he kept stirring the bowl, fully blending the ice and wild fruits.

Before long, a colorful bowl of smoothie was presented to An Lan.

An Lan took the bowl and took a small spoonful. Instantly, a cool and sweet sensation spread from the tip of her tongue throughout her entire body.

Her eyes lit up instantly, and she said excitedly, "Having a smoothie in this scorching heat is just perfect."

Seeing An Lan's reaction, Lu Fan was overjoyed. He chuckled and said, "Haha, if it's good, eat more."

After saying that, the two sat in the Shelter, enjoying the momentary coolness while eating smoothies and Chilled Grapes.

To keep themselves even cooler, they also brought out two large basins, poured in cold water with ice cubes, and leisurely soaked their feet.

"Living like this, it's just like being on vacation," Lu Fan remarked while soaking his feet.

"Yeah, eating smoothies and Chilled Grapes while soaking our feet in cool water—even back in the city, this would be considered a luxury," An Lan said with a smile.

While Lu Fan and An Lan were leisurely escaping the heat in the Shelter, Ling Yue had also found a way to cool down.

On the other side of the Deserted Island, he had set up a temporary Shelter by the sea.

The seaside environment was uniquely gifted, with sea breezes blowing in and bringing traces of coolness.

Looking at the endless sea before him, Ling Yue felt a sudden impulse.

Without hesitation, he took off his shirt, wearing only a pair of shorts, and dove into the sea with a "splash" like an agile fish.

The seawater was cool and pleasant, enveloping his body and making him feel instantly refreshed.

He swam to his heart's content in the sea, sometimes diving underwater and sometimes surfacing, enjoying this rare coolness and freedom.

"This is what summer should be like!" Ling Yue shouted loudly while swimming.

His voice echoed over the sea, as if declaring his victory over the sweltering weather.

Meanwhile, back in Huaguo, the audience watching through the livestream saw the three contestants' unique ways of beating the heat and left comments on the barrage comments.

"Wow, Lu Fan and An Lan really know how to enjoy themselves. Smoothies and Chilled Grapes—I'm getting cravings just watching."

"Ling Yue swimming in the sea, that's so cool! I want to go swimming at the beach too."

"Chinese contestants are amazing. Even in such a harsh environment, they can think of so many good ways to beat the heat."

"Others are practically dying from the heat, but our Chinese contestants are living like gods. So awesome!"

The viewers' comments came one after another, and the livestream room was bustling with activity.

Everyone was happy for the three contestants and full of anticipation for their life on the Deserted Island.

Lying on his chair, Lu Fan's gaze inadvertently swept to a corner of the Shelter, where Da Hei and the others were lying listlessly.

Their tongues were hanging out long, and they were panting heavily; they looked incredibly pitiful.

"Oh, I was so busy cooling myself off that I almost forgot about you guys. It's so hot, you must be parched."

Lu Fan slapped his forehead, quickly picked up the remaining basin of spring water, and walked toward them.

The first to notice the movement was Da Hei. His ears perked up, and his previously dull eyes instantly brightened.

He stood up with a "whoosh," his tail wagging like a rattle drum, and trotted over to Lu Fan.

He kept poking his nose toward the water basin, letting out low whimpering sounds as if saying, "I'm dying of thirst, give me some water quickly."

"Don't worry, there's enough for everyone." Lu Fan smiled and placed the basin on the ground, and Da Hei immediately buried his head in it.

His tongue lapped up the water rapidly, splashing it everywhere. In no time, half the basin was empty.

Big Horn and Baa Baa also walked over slowly. These two were always gentle and refined; even though they were extremely thirsty, their drinking posture remained elegant.

They leaned down, their necks curving gently, their mouths lightly touching the water's surface as they drank unhurriedly.

Every now and then, they would look up at Lu Fan with their large, moist eyes, as if expressing their gratitude.