Even After My Death
Chapter 150 - 123 Green Light in the Eyes (Two in One)

Chapter 150: Chapter 123 Green Light in the Eyes (Two in One)

Jian Tiantian informed the other guests about Jiang Ning and her two companions heading to the safe house. Having just emerged from their tents, Ling Bo and the others were startled upon hearing Jian Tiantian’s words.

Especially Huo Ziheng, who, upon hearing Jian Tiantian’s remark, let out a scoff.

"How could such a coincidence occur?"

They had just discussed last night about going to the safe house today, and then this morning Jiang Ning started to dismantle the tent. If that wasn’t eavesdropping on their conversation, what else could it be?

Ling Bo and the rest didn’t think too much about it. Like Jian Tiantian, they recognized the strong wilderness survival skills Jiang Ning had demonstrated over the past few days. Ling Bo said, "That mysterious guest must have come over from the safe house, he knows the way. Since everyone is heading to the safe house, why don’t we follow them? That way, we won’t be afraid of getting lost."

Huo Ziheng and Mu Mingxuan were somewhat disdainful of this idea, but they didn’t dare to guarantee that they could understand the production team’s map, so they tacitly agreed to Ling Bo’s suggestion.

Everyone quickly washed up and then started packing their things.

Due to the urgency of time, the guests had no chance to search for breakfast by the seaside.

Jiang Ning packed her things as swiftly as ever, while Nong Chun was a bit slower.

She was in no hurry. While waiting for Nong Chun, she found a few small bamboo branches that could serve as walking sticks and also as weapons.

Qi Xingzhou’s belongings were the least. He weighed Jiang Ning’s backpack and then his own, decisively slinging Jiang Ning’s bag over his shoulders.

The audience in front of the screen was full of praise for his considerate action. Even the Qi family members watching the live broadcast were taken aback by Qi Xingzhou’s initiative.

Ji Shuang, with a tissue wiping the corners of her eyes, said to Qi Jingshan, "After meeting Jiang Ning, Zhouzhou has become more sensible."

Qi Jingshan looked at the screen and nodded solemnly.

Although she heard Jian Tiantian’s words and saw the other guests packing, Jiang Ning only glanced over once before indifferently withdrawing her gaze, showing no intention of waiting for them. Once Nong Chun had finished packing, the three of them shouldered their bags and set off.

Qi Xingzhou took the initiative to carry Jiang Ning’s heavy backpack, trading his own light one with her.

Jiang Ning tugged at her backpack and said to Qi Xingzhou, "It’s fine, I can carry it."

But Qi Xingzhou shook his head and refused to let go of Jiang Ning’s backpack.

"Alright then, I’ll carry it for a while and you can take over when you’re tired," Jiang Ning compromised.

Qi Xingzhou gazed at Jiang Ning with his bright, shining eyes and nodded obediently.

Jiang Ning handed him the longest of the bamboo sticks, "There are many insects in the mountains. Be sure to watch your step, and you can use this to tap the grass."

Qi Xingzhou pressed his lips together and, with both hands, gratefully accepted it.

Jiang Ning had prepared three sticks. After giving one to Qi Xingzhou, she also handed one to Nong Chun.

Nong Chun was equally astonished to receive it, secretly admiring Jiang Ning’s thoughtfulness.

Carrying the lightest bag, Jiang Ning led the way with the bamboo stick, followed by Qi Xingzhou in the middle and Nong Chun bringing up the rear.

Seeing the three of them enter the forest without any reluctance, not even greeting them or intending to wait a moment longer, Mu Mingxuan and the others felt somewhat displeased. Yet, they didn’t know what to say and could only hasten their pace, hastily cramming their belongings into their backpacks and rushing into the forest in groups, trying to keep up with Jiang Ning and her companions.

Huo Miao trailed at the very end, feeling utterly exhausted.

With no one having eaten breakfast that morning, she soon felt dizzy after not walking very far.

"Big Brother, Brother Mingxuan, wait for me, I can’t go on..." Huo Miao pleaded.

Of course, Huo Ziheng and Mu Mingxuan wouldn’t leave her behind. One took Huo Miao’s belongings, the other supported Huo Miao, and the three of them walked at the back of the group.

Watching this scene, the audience commented:

[Huo Miao is really a burden.]

[She doesn’t have the life of a princess, but she’s got all the airs of one.]

If it had been a usual situation, Huo Miao’s fans would have already jumped out to defend her. But today, it was quiet, with no one speaking up.

After following for more than half an hour, Huo Miao couldn’t bear it anymore. Her pace became slower and heavier, and she sobbed, "Brother Mingxuan, I’m so hungry."

"Miaomiao, hang in there a little longer, maybe there’s something to eat up ahead," Mu Mingxuan comforted her.

In truth, they were all hungry. No one had eaten breakfast, and hiking with such heavy luggage, they were all famished.

But without food, they could only endure.

Jiang Ning walked at the front, her steps steady and strong. However, considering the heavy luggage on Qi Xingzhou’s and Nong Chun’s backs, she deliberately slowed her pace.

After over an hour of walking, Jiang Ning stopped, "Let’s take a break."

Nong Chun, out of breath, eagerly set down his backpack the moment Jiang Ning spoke.

Qi Xingzhou fared much better than him, breathing evenly, showing no other signs of distress.

Following behind, Ling Bo and the others seemed to be in much worse shape, dripping with sweat, their steps wavering, as if they were running on their last breath.

Seeing Jiang Ning and the other two stop, they also halted, one by one collapsing onto the ground, exhausted and thirsty.

Nong Chun leaned back on the ground, looked around, and said, "This place looks a bit familiar, are we near the spot where we collected water last time?"

Jiang Ning nodded, "Yes, just a little further ahead."

Upon hearing about water, the other guests’ ears perked up immediately. They had been in a constant state of dehydration for days, only able to drink small amounts, and had not enjoyed a proper drink of water in a long time. Now, just hearing the word made saliva involuntarily secrete in their mouths. When they saw Jiang Ning and the others move forward, they followed suit once more.

It wasn’t until they reached the same stream where they collected water last time that everyone stopped again.

With the shock of encountering that snake last time, Nong Chun was more cautious. After setting down his backpack, he poked the bushes with a bamboo stick, and only after feeling that there was nothing unusual did he squat down to collect water from the stream.

But the other guests didn’t share this concern, hurrying forward to kneel at the edge of the stream, cupping water with their hands, and gulping it down voraciously.

Drinking untreated water is unclean and may contain bacteria, but at that moment, everyone was too thirsty to be concerned about that.

Making an intentional choice to drink from the upstream part of the stream, Nong Chun stood up, planning to wait for them to finish before filling his bamboo tubes.

Jiang Ning didn’t approach the stream, instead squatting under a large tree to pick mushrooms; she had noticed these Ji-zong mushrooms out of the corner of her eye when setting down her backpack.

Ji-zong mushrooms are non-toxic and particularly tender and delicious.

Jiang Ning hadn’t eaten Ji-zong mushrooms in many years.

"Wow! Are those raspberries?" Jian Tiantian’s voice burst out with surprise as she stood by the bank, pointing across it.

Everyone looked in the direction she was pointing and saw several shrubs laden with red berries.

Jian Tiantian couldn’t wait to cross over and indeed found them to be raspberries!

She was overjoyed, hastily picking a few and popping them into her mouth.

The ripe raspberries were sweet, and although they were small, they were still edible!

Jian Tiantian, with tears welling up, didn’t even care about the thorns on the branches, her hands moving quickly to pick the berries.

The other guests, also starving, hurriedly followed.

Once they confirmed the fruit was edible, they all picked the ripe ones.

Huo Miao stood aside, her hand still injured and unable to pick, watching pitifully as Huo Ziheng and Mu Mingxuan worked.

"Miaomiao, don’t cry, you just stand there, this has thorns, I’ll pick them," Huo Ziheng comforted her as he picked.

Mu Mingxuan nodded along, "Right. We will pick, you won’t go hungry."

In the end, all the raspberries Huo Ziheng and Mu Mingxuan picked went into Huo Miao’s stomach.

If it had been earlier, everyone would have said that Huo Ziheng was a loving brother who doted on his sister, and Mu Mingxuan was a qualified fiancé. However, after the true and false identities of Huo Miao and Jiang Ning had been exposed, people felt a bit strange about the interactions among the trio of Huo Miao, Mu Mingxuan, and Huo Ziheng.

In theory, Jiang Ning should be Huo Ziheng’s biological sister, but he ignored his real sister, harboring a hostile attitude towards her, while being extremely caring and generous toward Huo Miao, the impostor, even preferring to starve himself to ensure she ate first.

As for Mu Mingxuan, Huo Miao had mentioned in media interviews that she and Mu Mingxuan were childhood sweethearts, betrothed from a young age. So, the child in Madam Huo’s belly at the time of Huo Miao’s supposed birth was actually Jiang Ning! The person who should truly have a marriage agreement with Mu Mingxuan would be Jiang Ning!

Jiang Ning had suffered outside for nearly twenty years, and upon finally reclaiming her family, discovered that they still treated the fake heiress who had stolen her identity as precious. Who wouldn’t feel sickened by this?

It’s no wonder that Jiang Ning was cold towards the Huo family members; everyone even dared not imagine how much humiliation and disappointment she had accumulated over the years that led to her decision to break away from the Huo Family.

Watching the way Huo Ziheng and Mu Mingxuan treated Huo Miao, viewers tried to put themselves in Jiang Ning’s shoes, and then: their fists clenched!

If it had happened to them, they definitely would have thrown punches with even more force than Jiang Ning!

After picking the Ji-zong mushrooms, Jiang Ning squatted by the stream to wash them clean, then packed them in a clean bag.

The empty bamboo tubes and bottles were also washed and filled with clean fresh water.

After a simple regrouping, everyone continued on their way.

Jiang Ning still led the way at the front; feeling particularly lucky today, when her peripheral vision caught sight of a large rooster foraging under a tree, Jiang Ning set down her backpack, dashed forward, and swung her bamboo stick at the bird.

The others trailing behind didn’t even have time to react before Jiang Ning already had the large rooster in her hands.

The rooster was quite robust, struggling in Jiang Ning’s grip and continuously making clucking noises.

Having just eaten raspberries that didn’t stave off hunger, Huo Miao and the others gazed at the rooster in Jiang Ning’s hands with envious eyes.