Desert Island Girl (Pure Lily) - Chapter 17

The weather on the deserted island was like this: in the afternoon, the sunlight burned fiercely.

From a distance, the entire steel wreckage of the ship reflected the sunlight, stuck in the surrounding golden sand, glaringly bright.

Even the plants in the rainforest drooped listlessly, looking somewhat wilted.

After comforting the slightly melancholic Miss Jiang Ning and seeing her return to her usual lively self, Mu Xiaoyang took the hook rope and returned to the cruise ship with peace of mind.

Phew… the heat was unbearable—perhaps Lin Tingting’s idea to keep the meat and vegetables in the ship’s hold was not a bad choice.

Pressing down her hot black hair, Mu Xiaoyang squinted her eyes, looked up at the ship, and thought as she walked.

On the cruise ship, three girls waited for her—or rather, for the hook rope in her hand.

After all, they needed tools to get the work done.

While tying up the goods with everyone, Mu Xiaoyang told Mu Mu and the others to pay more attention to Jiang Ning and not let her feel like a “lonely Miss.”

“Oh, our Miss actually feels lonely,” Yi Yun said with a smile after hearing Mu Xiaoyang’s words. “Next time we get the chance, we should pamper her a bit.”

“Really? Ning’s feelings are more delicate than they seem… Is she okay?”

Lin Tingting’s face turned red as she hooked the rope onto a box of instant noodles, her eyes showing some worry.

“Ahem, it’s just her childish personality… Spending more time with her should help,” Mu Xiaoyang said with a shrug.

However, a few days later, Mu Xiaoyang would regret her words so much she’d want to bite her tongue off.

“Then let’s hurry up. Once we finish here, Tingting and Sister Yun can go back to keep Miss company and rest a bit. Xiaoyang and I will go to the restaurant to grab some knives and kitchen tools and look for things to build a shelter,” Mu Mu said calmly, blinking her eyes.

Nodding in agreement, the girls sped up to finish moving the supplies and return to Jiang Ning.

Snacks weren’t heavy, and the hook rope could tie up several boxes at once.

For snacks like chips in air-filled packaging, they could even toss them down directly!

So, in just under two hours, they moved all the snacks off the ship.

As planned, the girls split up: Yi Yun and Lin Tingting took the snacks back to the temporary camp and chatted with Miss Jiang Ning, while Mu Mu and Mu Xiaoyang returned to the ship’s interior.

Mu Mu and Mu Xiaoyang headed to the sixth floor of the cruise ship, where Mu Xiaoyang remembered a luxurious restaurant that could seat nearly a hundred people at once.

Unlike the passenger cabins below the fifth floor, the sixth, seventh, eighth floors, and the top deck mostly housed entertainment areas, aside from some luxury cabins.

On the seventh floor, there was even a small shopping street with a clothing mall, which would eventually become a destination for Mu Xiaoyang’s group to explore.

Following Mu Mu, Mu Xiaoyang climbed six floors in one go, panting heavily, and finally reached the chaotic, luxurious restaurant.

“Need a break?” Mu Mu asked, turning to look at Mu Xiaoyang, who leaned on her knees, gasping delicately.

Climbing stairs alone wouldn’t have been so tiring—if they hadn’t been running around moving snacks all day.

Seeing Mu Mu’s calm expression, she took a deep breath and stood up. “No… it’s fine. Let’s go.”

She didn’t want to hold everyone back or cause trouble.

Looking ahead, the restaurant’s revolving door lay shattered, surrounded by glass shards.

The two carefully stepped over the broken glass and entered the restaurant.

Inside, chaos reigned.

A large decorative plant lay toppled, with soil and ceramic shards scattered everywhere.

The dark brown wooden floor held broken plates and moldy food, likely left by fleeing tourists.

Most of the elegant tables and chairs tilted haphazardly—once they built a shelter, Mu Xiaoyang thought, these beautiful pieces would make great decorations.

“Ugh… it smells bad here too…”

The rotting food made the air unpleasant. Frowning, Mu Xiaoyang fanned her hand in front of her nose.

“Yeah…” Mu Mu scanned the room. “I was eating here when the shipwreck happened…”

“Huh? Right here?” Mu Xiaoyang asked.

“Yeah, tourists and chefs were all rushing out. It was complete chaos,” Mu Mu replied.

Chatting, they reached the kitchen.

The kitchen was surprisingly large. Though the lights no longer worked, the beige checkered tiles gave it a warm feel.

A shiny silver counter stood in the center, covered with half-prepared food—sadly, these dishes would never reach the dining tables.

Around it, counters designed for multiple chefs to cook at once held scattered ingredients and, most importantly, a full range of kitchen tools: cutting boards, chopping blocks, large iron pans, various knives, and woks.

There were also machines for grilling meat, frying chunks, and roasting chicken, but Mu Xiaoyang figured they wouldn’t need those greasy contraptions.

“So many things here!” Mu Mu said, looking excited at the gleaming knives.

Mu Xiaoyang smiled, picking up a large white bucket with a lid. “Mu Mu seems happier exploring than usual.”

“Yep, that’s true.”

Mu Mu nodded eagerly.

“Every new find feels like opening a lottery ticket. It’s probably just my nature.”

“Nature, huh…”

Mu Xiaoyang mused, helping Mu Mu put sharp knives, boning knives, and cleavers into the bucket.

“Are you always like this, Xiaoyang?” Mu Mu asked, grabbing another white bucket and stuffing in cutting boards and chopping blocks without looking up.

“Huh?” Mu Xiaoyang looked at her, confused by the sudden question.

“I mean, you always seem so sunny, getting along with everyone, acting like we’re on vacation even after a shipwreck and being stranded on an island. Is your mindset really that cheerful?”

Mu Mu tilted her head, blinking.

Pausing her work, Mu Xiaoyang fell silent.

Seeing her quiet, Mu Mu played with a sharp knife, slowly walking toward her, the blade glinting as it spun in her hand.

Mu Xiaoyang had no doubt that, with Mu Mu’s skill and the knife’s sharpness, she could slit her throat in one move.

Truthfully, seeing someone as capable as Mu Mu approach with a blade made Mu Xiaoyang uneasy.

But she didn’t move—logically and emotionally, she couldn’t see why Mu Mu would harm her.

Unless Mu Mu was a psychopath who enjoyed tormenting others for pleasure.

But Mu Xiaoyang didn’t think Mu Mu was a psychopath.

Soon, in the spacious, cozy, yet cluttered kitchen, the two girls stood face-to-face, gazing at each other quietly.

Looking up at Mu Mu, Mu Xiaoyang forced a smile. “What’s up, Mu Mu?”

Without answering, Mu Mu stared at her calmly for about ten seconds before chuckling softly.

“You’re scared, Xiaoyang. Why didn’t you move? Too scared to walk? Being brave? Or do you think running wouldn’t help? Or… do you trust I won’t hurt you?”

Shaking her head with a wry smile, Mu Xiaoyang replied, “Maybe all of those… So, what’s Mu Mu trying to do?”

Tossing the knife lightly into the air, Mu Mu caught it by the tip and handed the handle to Mu Xiaoyang. “Shy Tingting, mature Yun, childish Miss—I just want to see the real you, Xiaoyang.”

Taking the knife, Mu Xiaoyang placed it quietly in the bucket.

After a pause, Mu Mu smiled faintly.

“Remember what you said in the corridor? You said we could rely on each other, that you want us to live happily on the island. I don’t think you were lying. Show me, Xiaoyang—your true self! We’ve even seen each other’s bodies, haven’t we? Don’t be shy, come on.”

She gave Mu Xiaoyang a thumbs-up for encouragement.

Shaking her head helplessly, Mu Xiaoyang gave a wry smile.

“Ugh, you’re impossible. I didn’t expect quiet Mu Mu to have her own little schemes. I’m not as cheerful as I seem. It’s not cheerfulness—it’s rationality.”

Mu Xiaoyang sighed deeply.

“Of course I want to scream and vent. Why am I so unlucky? Why did a trip turn into this? Why am I half-dead on this island?”

“But I can’t do that. We’re all just stranded. If I let out my negative emotions, it’ll affect everyone’s mood. So, whether I want to or not, I have to stay positive. I can’t let everyone mope around waiting for rescue!”

Looking at Mu Xiaoyang’s furrowed brow, Mu Mu shook her head, her lips curling slightly. “You’re not rational. Rationality is another form of selfishness. You’re delicate, Xiaoyang. You know, out of the five of us, you’re the most delicate.”

Mu Mu’s eyes suddenly seemed so deep that Mu Xiaoyang could hardly believe this was the same quiet girl.

Stunned, Mu Xiaoyang shook her head and smiled.

“Fine, delicate it is. You want to see the real me, right? Well, watch closely.”

Lowering her head slightly but looking up, Mu Xiaoyang stopped smiling, her lips turning downward, giving her a cold, almost grim aura.

Without any pretense or emotional mask, this was Mu Xiaoyang’s truest self—not laughing if she didn’t want to.

“Xiaoyang? You look so cool,” Mu Mu said, blinking curiously.

Mu Xiaoyang’s indifferent gaze and expressionless face seemed to say, “Kneel, you non-recyclable trash,” or “Creatures like you should crawl on all fours.”

If Mu Xiaoyang knew Mu Mu’s thoughts, who knows what she’d think.

This expression was one Mu Xiaoyang wore when bored—it didn’t mean her usual cheer was fake, just a different shift in mood.

Smiling shyly, Mu Xiaoyang felt embarrassed.

“Alright, stop teasing. Let’s clean this place out and take these knives back.”