CH 135

After comforting the little bird, Shu Shuishui was still not entirely at ease. He looked around in all directions and wanted to hide the little bird under a towel in the bathroom.

However, after finally coaxing the little bird out of his hair, he lifted his hand to place it under the towel. Before Shu Shuishui could even lower the towel, the little bird had already hopped back onto Shu Shuishui’s head, with agile movements as if it had springs on its feet.

Shu Shuishui was left speechless.

Due to feeling guilty, Shu Shuishui didn’t dare to speak loudly. He simply pointed to the towel, indicating that the little bird should hide inside it. However, the little bird just stared innocently with its pure eyes, showing no intention of complying.

Shu Shuishui then extended his hand to point at the toothbrush cup. The little bird, acting as if nothing had happened, began to meticulously groom Shu Shuishui’s hair, one strand at a time, with great seriousness.

Shu Shuishui silently withdrew his hand, realizing that he couldn’t bring himself to capture the adorable little bird. It was like a cute down jacket that also groomed hair, all fluffy and chubby-looking. It was too adorable to harm, even compared to grasshoppers… No, wait, it’s too cute to be eaten.

With these thoughts in mind, Shu Shuishui had no choice but to allow the persistent little bird to settle comfortably in his hair.

With this small bird quietly grooming his hair, Shu Shuishui left the bathroom with a stiff posture. His gaze swept over to find that Gu Langu hadn’t noticed anything; he was still diligently working. Shu Shuishui breathed a sigh of relief.

However, watching Gu Langu work so diligently, Shu Shuishui felt a twinge of guilt. Gu Langu was working so hard, and he had secretly taken in another little bird. Was it right to keep it a secret? Should he be honest with Gu Langu? If Gu Langu didn’t accept it, should he roast the little bird as a gesture of apology?

As thoughts swirled in Shu Shuishui’s mind, he couldn’t help but imagine scenarios. Meanwhile, the little bird in his hair remained completely unaware of the potential danger it was in. To Shu Shuishui, who appeared gentle and warm on the outside, it seemed like he could roast the bird without hesitation.

Other than Shu Shuishui’s conflicted mind, Gu Langu was also experiencing some anxiety. He pondered whether his actions had been too obvious, causing Shu Shuishui to notice something was amiss.

The two guilty souls locked eyes and then broke into smiles.

“Gu Gu, you look especially handsome today!”

“Shui Shui, you look especially cute today!”

In unison, they threw their inner turmoil aside. They couldn’t reveal their secrets, not when they saw each other in such a positive light.

“Is Gu Gu looking at the data from today’s detectors?” Shu Shuishui leaned closer and sat next to Gu Langu.

Gu Langu nodded. “Yes, the detectors entered the Cangyu Mountains ahead of us. It will help us with tomorrow’s exploration.”

Shu Shuishui rested against Gu Langu’s chest, and Gu Langu naturally extended his arm to embrace him.

“Well then, let’s look at it together, and I can perform some divinations and calculations to find auspicious locations,” Shu Shuishui said, switching to a serious tone, never forgetting their main task.

Gu Langu had no objections. “I’ll convert the data into a video format.”

With that, Gu Langu transformed the detector’s information into a video format and projected it onto the opposite wall. He also turned off the lights in the pitch-black dormitory. In the darkness, the video on the wall became crystal clear.

Gu Langu adjusted the pillow behind him, leaning against the bed’s headboard, while Shu Shuishui found a comfortable spot in Gu Langu’s embrace. They settled in this warm and secure position to focus on their task.

The two of them sat close together, quietly watching the video on the wall. Occasionally, they would discuss something in hushed tones. Thanks to their exceptional memories, they didn’t need to jot down notes.

In the pitch-black space, the light from the video illuminated their faces, strangely making them look harmonious.

Due to the pressing exploration task at hand, both of them temporarily set aside their individual secrets and focused earnestly on finding suitable living areas.

People like Shu Shuishui and Gu Langu, who spent their nights discussing the exploration mission, were not uncommon, especially among the smaller fleets. They were discussing the teams that would venture deep into the Cangyu Mountains and those that would search for other fleets on the water’s surface.

Everyone in each base understood that tomorrow’s exploration would have a significant impact on their future lives. The comfort and safety of a living area also determined the base’s future development.

Among these bases, Fei Luo’s base had a somewhat peculiar atmosphere.

Shi An’an applied to join the mountain exploration team and hinted that he had already roughly identified a suitable living area but encountered some minor issues that could be easily resolved. However, he didn’t elaborate on the specific problems.

In Fei Luo’s base, Shi An’an had a convincing presence. Along the way, it seemed like he possessed clairvoyance, solving many difficult problems. It could be said that Shi An’an played a crucial role in Fei Luo’s base successfully surviving the winter.

Even slowly, Shi An’an’s influence within Fei Luo’s base seemed to be gradually surpassing that of Fei Luo himself. However, everyone could see that Shi An’an had feelings for Fei Luo, so there was a delicate balance maintained within the base.

As for Fei Luo, no one could decipher his thoughts. He came from a noble background, with an elegant appearance and a calm demeanor. He appeared to indulge in everything Shi An’an did, including taking the lead, seemingly showing infinite affection towards him, but he also maintained a sense of distance. Not only Shi An’an but also the people in Fei Luo’s base couldn’t quite grasp Fei Luo’s true intentions.

Amidst the anticipation of everyone, the morning of the second day arrived as expected, with gentle sunlight spilling down.

The sky, now free from clouds, looked exceptionally clear, and the sun, which had been timid for months, shone forth boldly and warmly. Such clear weather gave the inhabitants of Cang Zhan Star a signal: the rainy season had ended, and the dry season was approaching.

On the outskirts of the Cangyu Mountains, people from various bases had already organized their teams, led by a gray rat, awaiting the command to set out. Each person’s eyes were filled with longing and hope, with the reflection of the lush Cangyu Mountains in their eyes, just like the future they envisioned.

Finally, after Shui Jing Gong repeated the rules to be followed, each exploration team set out.

The Shui Jing Gong team also set out, with a gray rat accompanying them. However, the gray rat was not the leader but a member of the team. After all, the Shui Jing Gong team had bilingual talents like Shu Shuishui, so they didn’t have to worry about accidentally entering the territory of mutated creatures.

In addition to the exploration task, the Shui Jing Gong team also had a task to meet with Bai Ye and discuss specific matters. Therefore, Nan Ge was also in the team, as he was more familiar with this type of work compared to Shu Shuishui.

After reviewing the data from the detectors received last night, Shu Shuishui had a better understanding of the vast area they were about to explore. However, the Cangyu Mountains were vast, and comprehending the entire landscape would not be a task accomplished overnight.

Combining the original maps with the data from the detectors, Shu Shuishui made further precise calculations regarding the possible locations of Fengshui treasure lands. He noticed that the direction Fei Luo’s base team had set off coincided with one of the potential locations. However, Shu Shuishui wasn’t in a hurry. According to his speculation, there were many places in the Cangyu Mountains that could be considered Fengshui treasure lands; otherwise, this lush mountain range would not have existed for so long.

In addition, Shu Shuishui had confidence in Shui Jing Gong’s ability to improve the environment. Even if the initial conditions were poor, with the protection of the Guardian Array, the environment here would only get better. While the living area might be fixed, people were adaptable, and Shu Shuishui never viewed things with a fixed perspective.

Exploration had no time limit; as long as conditions allowed, each base could continue exploring until they found a satisfactory living area. Of course, the rat guides had negotiated daily wages for themselves, a demand they had made while waving their small flags.

No base team would skimp on the rewards of two sweet potatoes, and they had great confidence in the rats. Some teams had even prepaid their wages.

The rats happily led their respective employers out, and before departing, the rats who remained in the base waved their paws in farewell and then plunged into the construction of the pier. Of course, a small portion followed the departing ships to search for other fleets.

Each fleet busied themselves, and although their tasks differed, they shared the same emotions and aspirations.

Shu Shuishui’s team proceeded smoothly. With Shu Shuishui’s introduction, Nan Ge stayed behind to discuss an alliance with Bai Ye. Bai Ye seemed to have a favorable impression of Nan Ge, at least his wise and accommodating gaze made Bai Ye set aside any reservations.

The other members of the Shui Jing Gong team continued their exploration of the Cangyu Mountains. Bai Ye even dispatched two parrots to guide the team through the territory of the mutated creatures, providing two locations it considered suitable.

During the journey, the team also inspected two of the Fengshui treasure land locations predicted by Shu Shuishui. The places were indeed good, but their sizes were insufficient. With the addition of Zone B, Shui Jing Gong now had twice as many residents, around five to six hundred people. This required living areas, cultivation areas, construction areas, development areas, and so on.

Such a place was best situated on flat terrain with ample fertile soil, natural barriers nearby, and not in the territory of powerful mutated creatures. It was indeed challenging to find.

On the return journey, it was evident that Nan Ge had successfully negotiated with Bai Ye, and both sides appeared very satisfied with the discussions. What surprised Shu Shuishui was that Bai Ye even invited Nan Ge to visit often, a clear indication of Bai Ye’s deep appreciation for Nan Ge.

Nan Ge also displayed a rare expression of delight, with a few less of his usual seriousness, looking more relaxed.

When the Shui Jing Gong exploration team returned to their base camp on the outskirts of the mountains, many teams had already returned and were gathered around a campfire. However, the overall atmosphere seemed strange, as if it were heavy. This was particularly noticeable with the rats, who usually worked diligently but were now surrounding the Fei Luo base exploration team in a state of alertness.

Moreover, the teams that had gone out to sea during the day to search for other fleets also appeared to be in low spirits upon their return.

The members of the Shui Jing Gong team exchanged glances, conveying a single message: something was amiss!