Always Here

"No phone, no basic supplies..." To be honest, Ye Shuang's mind was still in a daze, as he had no memory of going out to sea. But blacking out from drinking wasn’t unfamiliar to him.

Had his obsession with the Air Force really been that deep? Enough to make him go night fishing on the ocean in the middle of the night—though, given Chen Qin’s personality, she would definitely have accompanied him.

The gentle night sea breeze brushed against him, yet it only deepened his confusion.

Everything felt surreal.

Beside him, Chen Qin looked utterly helpless. She seemed to have just finished crying, her eyes slightly red, but she said nothing, as if trying not to worry him.

"This area has seven or eight hundred small islands, and it’s a tourist spot. It’s unlikely we’ve drifted too far. There might even be people on this island."

Ye Shuang knew that if he panicked, Chen Qin would have no one to rely on. Even though his mind was a tangled mess, he forced himself to stay composed and offer her some encouragement.

"Ye, I already checked while you were unconscious. This island is uninhabited," Chen Qin said softly.

"I see..." Ye Shuang thought for a moment, then glanced around.

"Let’s find a place to stay for the night first."

"Where? I’m scared..." Chen Qin murmured.

"It’s okay. Hold my hand. We need to find somewhere safe," Ye Shuang said, reaching out when he noticed her trembling.

"Okay."

Holding Ye Shuang’s hand, Chen Qin seemed to calm down a little.

"Bear Grylls, grant me strength. Am I really gonna end up as a crunchy snack here?" Ye Shuang thought to himself, desperately trying to recall the few survival documentaries he’d watched, hoping to dredge up some useful knowledge.

But how could an ordinary person survive without tools until rescue arrived?

"Ye, there’s something over there," Chen Qin suddenly pointed into the distance. Following her gaze, Ye Shuang spotted a large box lying by the shore, gently lapped by the waves, emitting faint sounds.

"Huh?"

Ye Shuang hurried over and found a sealed plastic container about the size of a suitcase. It felt surprisingly heavy.

Near the box were fragments of a boat, torn apart as if by brute force.

"Ye, that’s the boat we took out to sea..." Chen Qin whispered. "Then the others... could they be..."

"Did Yu You and the others come with us?" Ye Shuang’s heart tightened as he asked.

"No, just us, two bodyguards, and the boatman."

"I see..." Ye Shuang slowly stood up, dragging the plastic box away from the water. "No time to mourn them now. Let’s see what’s inside this thing. Hopefully, there are some supplies."

Fortunately, the box wasn’t locked—just a couple of metal clasps to undo. But Ye Shuang worried whether seawater had seeped in, which would render anything inside useless.

Click, click.

When he opened it, he was surprised to find the interior completely dry, untouched by seawater. Not only that, but it was packed with survival gear. Ye Shuang noticed the waterproof seal lining the edges.

"A pocket knife, flashlight, blanket, compressed biscuits, water bottle, drinking water... huh? It’s fully stocked?"

There were even two sets of clothes inside.

"Boats usually carry emergency supplies like this, just in case of accidents," Chen Qin explained, noticing Ye Shuang’s thoughtful expression.

"Right. Let’s look around and see if there’s more," Ye Shuang said, organizing the items.

"Okay."

After searching the area, they found no other boxes. With no other options, Ye Shuang decided to lead Chen Qin to a safe spot to rest.

Staying on the beach wasn’t an option—once the sun rose, rapid dehydration would be a death sentence.

Behind them loomed a tropical forest, pitch-black and intimidating. Ye Shuang didn’t dare venture in recklessly, but he did find a shallow cave-like space, about three meters deep—perfect for a temporary shelter.

It would shield them from both sunlight and rain.

Gathering some dry grass, Ye Shuang spread it evenly on the ground before laying the blanket over it. It wasn’t a bed, but it would do.

"Are you cold? Put these on first."

"Mm."

A swimsuit wasn’t enough against the night chill. Ye Shuang averted his gaze from the jiggly "slimes" barely contained by her top as he handed her the clothes.

"Thank you."

Sitting side by side on the blanket, with another draped over them, their body warmth was unmistakable.

"Ye, I’m still scared," Chen Qin murmured.

"Don’t be. This area probably sees plenty of boats every day—it’s not some uninhabited wasteland," Ye Shuang said, though uncertainty gnawed at him. He forced a light tone. "Who knows? Maybe the other side of the island has a settlement."

Chen Qin tensed slightly but managed a smile. "R-Really? That’d be great... but earlier, I didn’t see any signs of people..."

"With all the fishing enthusiasts out there, if there were a settlement, there’d be traces of fishing spots around here."

"Maybe." Ye Shuang sighed and looked up.

Thanks to the absence of light pollution, the stars shone brilliantly.

The last time he’d seen such a dazzling sky was... back in the countryside, wasn’t it?

"Ye, we used to see skies like this before. Remember?" Chen Qin suddenly looked up too.

"Yeah. Your hometown, right?" Ye Shuang recalled.

"Mm!" Chen Qin’s voice softened. "Back then, that idiot Chen Hai dragged us into the mountains for an 'adventure'... and we ended up falling down a slope and getting lost."

"I was so terrified. But you kept comforting me, even carried me for a while. Yet, by nightfall, we still hadn’t found our way back."

"We found a little cave like this one, and when we looked up, the sky was just as beautiful."

"I was young and silly back then. I thought... if I could stay with you under those stars, maybe never going back wouldn’t be so bad."

"I think... that was when I fell for you." Chen Qin smiled sweetly, the starry sky reflected in her shimmering eyes.

"Ye, I think I could love you for a long, long time—like those stars."

"Even if sometimes I can’t see them..."

"They’re always there. Always."

Recommend Series

Transmigrated into the Villain, My Inner Thoughts Were Overheard by the Female Lead

Transmigrated into the Villain, My Inner Thoughts Were Overheard by the Female Lead

. As long as he maintains the villain image and follows the plot to the grand finale, he can obtain generous rewards and return to the real world. So Gu Chen'an entered the role and began to act as a scumbag villain, but who would have expected that the female leads could hear his inner thoughts. Miss Su from the Su family was shocked: "I originally thought Gu Chen'an was a scumbag, but I didn't expect he turned out to be a gentleman! What? You said I have to call off the engagement? I definitely won't, I'll piss you off!" Bai Yuan Tian was dumbfounded: "Young Master Gu is usually unreasonable and a complete brat, but he actually calls me little sweetie in his heart? What, Young Master Gu even said he likes me?" As the female leads' images collapsed more and more, the plot also collapsed with it. Gu Chen'an looked at all this chaos. "Ladies, don't aggro me, if you keep this up the male lead really will stab me, I still need to survive to the grand finale!"

Sent You to an Elite School, and You Went to Chase the Young Miss

Sent You to an Elite School, and You Went to Chase the Young Miss

ial death, also known as "shè sǐ" in Chinese, generally refers to... well, never mind, it's not important. My name is Ye Cheng, and I'm about to experience social death firsthand. ... 【Host, your mission is to confess your love to the young lady of the Dongfang family, the current student council president, in a way that will be unforgettable for everyone at the freshman ceremony!】 【Host, assist the girl with a sprained ankle in front of you to reach the infirmary, and fulfill the wicked thoughts in your heart!】 【Host, act on your desires and punish the arrogant young lady before you mercilessly!】 【Host, follow your instincts—abandon shameful surrender, begging, or groveling, and ruthlessly criticize the domineering, ill-mannered young lady in front of you!】 【Host...】 Ye Cheng: "Here, here, you take this host role—I quit!" Wait, why is the girl with a sprained ankle the daughter of a mafia boss? And what kind of punishment method is this for the arrogant young lady? Also, who the heck said anything about wicked thoughts in my heart? Come out here, let’s settle this one-on-one!!! ... The haughty student council president, the scheming mafia princess, the fragile yandere young lady, the airheaded maid-in-waiting, the mixed-blood loli/...

My Dad Married a Female CEO, and I Gained Four Older Sisters

My Dad Married a Female CEO, and I Gained Four Older Sisters

Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"

After Amnesia, They All Say They’re My Girlfriend

After Amnesia, They All Say They’re My Girlfriend

reezy rom-com) Good news: Jiang Liu is quite the ladies' man. Bad news: He’s lost his memory. Lying in a hospital bed, Jiang Liu listens to a parade of goddesses spouting "absurd claims," feeling like the world is one giant game of Werewolf. "Jiang Liu, I’m your first love." "Jiang Liu, you’re my boyfriend—she’s your ex." "Jiang Liu, we’re close friends who’ve shared a bed, remember?" "Jiang Liu, I want to have your baby." The now-lucid Jiang Liu is convinced this must be some elaborate scam... until someone drops the bombshell: "The day before you lost your memory, you confessed your feelings—and got into a relationship." Jiang Liu is utterly baffled. So... who the hell is his actual girlfriend?! ... Before recovering his memories, Jiang Liu must navigate this minefield of lies and sincerity, fighting to protect himself from these women’s schemes. But things spiral even further out of control as more people show up at his doorstep—each with increasingly unhinged antics. On the bright side, the memories he lost due to overwhelming trauma seem to be resurfacing. Great news, right? So why are they all panicking now?