Ding Ning stopped and turned to look at her impatiently. “Didn’t you see my cover my body with bug repelling juices? The bug repelling juice has a very pungent smell and most venomous bugs cannot stand it and will leave you alone. But you just had to be vain and dislike the smell.”
Xiao Nuo’s eyes widened in shock and her pink lips opened, revealing a mouthful of white and even teeth. Angry and humiliated, she said, “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”
Ding Ning bared his teeth in a smile and said with a false air of surprise, “Didn’t you go through outdoor survival training? Did you not know?”
“Of… of course I knew!”
Xiao Nuo looked at his despicable face and ground her teeth with hatred but her pride would not let her admit defeat. Raising her head proudly, she stubbornly said, “Of course I knew, I just don’t like the smell.”
“Ah, then there’s nothing to be done. If you’re not afraid of venomous bugs, then take it off. That’ll teach me to mind my own business.”
Ding Ning shrugged noncommittally before he turned and continued forward.
Xiao Nuo clenched her little fist, growling angrily in her heart. This despicable bastard, he must have done it on purpose. What an annoying guy, he had no elegance at all.
In a huff, she thought about taking off her outer layers but remembering that an insect bite could be fatal, she immediately extinguished this thought. Gritting her teeth, she endured the cruel heat and strode forward without a sound.
Ding Ning laughed to himself. “This girl was quite stubborn, let’s see how long you last.”
Those who had never experienced the wet heat of tropical forest could never understand the cruel heat and uncomfortable feeling of being soaked with sweat as if one’s entire body was inside a steamer.
Even with Ding Ning’s body, he began to pant open-mouthed. It was as if his entire body had been scooped out of a pool of water, his sweat falling like rain.
Xiao Nuo, all her clothing soaked through with sweat, was even worse off. Her gaze gradually slackened, she was thirsty, her throat was dry, and her face was pale. Severe dehydration made her dizzy and her vision swim. She took each step mechanically, moving forward step by step.
She didn’t notice Ding Ning had already stopped walking and crashed right into his back. Her legs turned to jelly and she collapsed to the ground.
Ding Ning turned and caught her slim waist before she fell. Looking at her stubborn face, an unexpected wave of tenderness rose in his heart. What a stupid girl! So stubborn.
Carefully, he placed her on the ground and searched out the roots of a few non-venomous plants from around him then carefully squeezed their juices into her mouth.
The lightly fragrantly liquid from the plant made Xiao Nuo open her mouth instinctively, sucking greedily on the liquid as if it were water from a sweet spring. Her dazed eyes opened and she looked unblinkingly at Ding Ning’s tense face.
Ding Ning’s throat rolled and he forcefully resisted the urge to kiss her, instead, he put on his hateful and harsh expression. “I told you earlier not to come with me, but you had to show off. Now look what happened.”
“Hmph, I don’t need your help.”
Xiao Nuo, who had just recovered a little energy, was ashen-faced. She pushed aside Ding Ning and climbed up, icily, she said, “I was just thirsty.”
Ding Ning looked at her still stubborn face and pulled on her with bad temper. As she gave a cry of surprise, he pulled her jacket off of her.
“What are you doing? I’m warning you, don’t do anything stupid.”
Xiao Nuo scolded in a harsh voice and covered the snow white twin peaks that almost showed through her tight shirt with shock.
Without good humor, Ding Ning took out the bug repelling grass from his bag and rolled his eyes. “You’re already dehydrated, what else are you going to do?”
“I don’t need your help!” Xiao Nuo smelled the disgusting scent of the bug repelling grass and her stomach turned as she struggled violently.
Impatiently, Ding Ning used his strength to flip her over his leg and with a slap, struck her pert backside viciously. “Behave, if you die here, it’s not good for me either.”
Xiao Nuo’s entire body froze and she stopped struggling. Without a sound, she allowed Ding Ning to smear the bug repelling liquid on her naked shoulders and arms as her body trembled slightly.
After Ding Ning helped her cover her back, he flipped her over to do her front. That was when he noticed the goose bumps all over and the faint flush of pink on her skin.
Biting her lip tightly, there was not a glimmer of focus in her large eyes. They were hollow and hopeless. Her long and curved eyelashes trembled slightly and hung with tears. At some point, the tears had already wet her beautiful face and run down her face to drip onto the ground.
Looking at her empty expression, Ding Ning’s heart ached. He quickly let go of her and apologized in bewilderment. “Sorry, it’s my fault. Don’t cry, don’t cry. Put it on yourself, alright?”
Seeing Ding Ning let go of her, Xiao Nuo’s empty gaze recovered a glimmer of life. She sat up expressionlessly and picked up the bug repelling grass from the ground. Like a zombie, she squeezed out the juice and mechanically smeared it on her naked skin.
Ding Ning walked away irritably. Digging out half a crumpled packet of Ninghai cigarettes, he lit one and took a deep drag as he leaned against a large tree.
This outing had already happened in a rush and they were not prepared to enter the tropical forest. These cigarettes and lighter had been taken from the skinny monkey, in case of emergency.
Smoke ash could stop bleeding and the lighter could start fires. When resources were lacking, these unremarkable things could all become life-saving items.
Suffocating smoke entered deep into his lungs, making him let out a series of coughs.
He knew that his unintentional actions had made Xiao Nuo think of You Xumo, which was why her reaction had been so intense. This made him feel very guilty and, for some reason, unhappy.
When it came to relationships, he unconsciously chose an attitude of avoidance. Never mind the fact this father had long decided his marriage, even if he went back on his word, Ling Yun was the first girl to walk into his heart.
Accepting Xiao Nuo would be being irresponsible toward Ling Yun. Furthermore, he was new to the affairs of the heart, he was still very confused about love. He didn’t know how to deal with such complicated emotions.
However, looking at Xiao Nuo’s expressionless face, Ding Ning felt like a bastard. Since he had already decided to stop this relationship, why had he bothered her?
In his bones, he was actually a very traditional male. Ling Yun and Xiao Nuo had both given their first kiss to him, this made him feel a strong sense of responsibility.
That was why he had even exposed his capabilities after seeing Xiao Nuo in danger and had charged out to save her without regard for his own safety. Otherwise, no matter how pretty a girl was, what did they have to do with him?
Although he was unwilling to admit it, reality proved that Xiao Nuo was special to him.
Compared to Ling Yun, who had been his best friend first, and Shen Muqing, who made his heart stutter, it was Xiao Nuo, who he had kissed twice, that he felt closest to. This was why he had unconsciously done such an intimate thing as to smack her bottom.
Xiao Nuo finished putting on the repellant and tied her jacket around her waist. Although the smell of the bug repelling plant was disgusting, the smell was not completely unacceptable compared to that suffocating humid heat.
Although Xiao Nuo did not have any affection toward Ding Ning, and thought he was arrogant, egoistic, harsh, petty, with a careless manner, she had no choice but to admit that this guy’s outdoor survival experience was far beyond anything she could compare to.
At least, she did not know that the lightly fragrant plant juices could be drunk like water. As it entered the mouth, it carried a light bitterness and fragrance but the after taste was sweet. It was very effective in hydrating, her parched throat now felt much better.
Raising her head, she glanced indifferently at Ding Ning. For a moment, Xiao Nuo didn’t know how to face him.
She was very humiliated that she had been rescued by two men in two short days and had her bottom smacked. For her, who was always icy and aloof, this was an unacceptable humiliation.
It was clear that two different men had used the same way to smack her bottom and yet she was unable to be angry. This made her feel even more sullen.
Ding Ning stubbed out his cigarette that still had more than half left and gathered a few drinkable roots from where he was and put them into his bag.
“What plant is this?”
Xiao Nuo very did not want to pay this despicable man any mind. At least, You Xumo had made her love him, who was this Ding Ning? Why should he take advantage of her?
But a powerful desire for knowledge made her put down her aloofness and she asked without a trace of emotion.
“Green aloe. I’m used to calling it sweet water spring onion because its shape is very much like a wild spring onion but its juice fragrant and the after taste is sweet.”
In a rare show of patience, Ding Ning explained, “Green aloe and aloe vera both belong to the same species of plants, they’re both long-living plants of the eremurus genus. However, very few people recognize it. I learned of it from a medical book passed down in my family. Its leaves are venomous but its roots have an effect similar to that of aloe vera. If one could drink its juices for a long time, one’s skin would become even brighter and whiter. Compared to aloe vera, its beautifying and scar removal abilities were even better. Furthermore, it is of a warm nature and will not harm the body. It has the effect of cleansing poison and quenching thirst. It is a pity that it only grows in hot tropical forests and in very small amounts. We are very lucky to run into it.”
Hearing of its beautifying effects, Xiao Nuo’s eyes lit up. However, afterward, she heard that they were few in number and rarely seen. She couldn’t help but feel deep regret and disappointment showed on her face.
As Ding Ning spoke, he looked around and gathered all of the green aloe he could find. Discovering Xiao Nuo’s disappointment expression, he smiled slightly. “Although this kind of aloe is very rare, if one understands its medical properties, it is not difficult to grow by hand. Although its medical properties would be slightly weaker, it can be made into very good hydrating facial masks, used to remove scars, and other such whitening products with some processing. If you like it, I’ll raise some when we get back and make it into products for you to use. In the special forces, you are out in the sun and wind all day. You should protect your skin.”
“What do you mean? Is my skin very bad?”
Who knew that Ding Ning’s flattery would go so wrong? Xiao Nuo was like a prickly wild cat as she glared at him viciously.
“Uh, it’s not bad, not bad. There are just some dark circles under your eyes that impact your beauty.”
Ding Ning scratched the back of his head and said with embarrassment.
“Hmph!” Xiao Nuo proudly raised her head and turned with a cold huff into the depths of the tropical forest. Her overbearing voice floated back quietly, “Once you’ve made it into beauty products, they’re all mine, you’re not allowed to sell to anyone else.”
Ding Ning originally had plans to find some land once he returned to Ninghai, spend some money to create a man-made tropical environment to grow green aloe on a large scale. He thought he could make his fortune from it but who would have thought that it would all be severed with a word from Xiao Nuo. She didn’t even raise the matter of money.
“Alright, as long as you like it, I’ll give you as much as I make.”
Strangely, there was no objection in his heart. As long as she liked it, so what if he couldn’t use this stuff to make money. In any case, this place was filled with endless precious herbs.
This trip into the tropical forest had been worth it. Here, he found many precious herbs that had a price but no supply in the outside world. Furthermore, the age of these herbs was all-sufficient, they were almost all over a century old. There were even some which were closer to a thousand years in age. No wonder it was a primeval forest that humans rarely passed through.
For Ding Ning, this was a natural treasure trove of herbs that was enough to make him salivate. Although the species were a little limited, there was definitely many of them, at least a thousand.
It was a pity he couldn’t take them all. He could only pick some of the oldest and quietly remember the others, for when he needed to come to pick them in the future.
