“Fu—Miao—Xue!!!”

Du Lai let out a roar from deep in his throat:

“Are you out of your mind?! Huh?!!”

Fu Miaoxue saw his fury and laughed even more gleefully: “Hahahahaha! Why are you shouting so loud? It’s not going to bite you — at worst, I’ll help you get it off~”

Still laughing, she climbed up from the ground. Seeing Du Lai standing there rigid, his face an iron shade of green, she asked with uncontrollable amusement: “What’s wrong? Does it really hurt? Hey~ let me take a look~”

As she said this, she reached out to lift his grass skirt.

Du Lai slapped her little hand away with a crack! At the end of his patience, he bellowed: “Fu Miaoxue! Are you even a woman?! Have you no shame, lifting someone else’s clothes?!”

Fu Miaoxue heard this, her face fell, her lips pouted, and she was displeased.

“Fine, don’t let me look — but why did you hit my hand?!” She clutched her own hand and accused him: “It’s all red now! Last time when the octopus latched onto me, you didn’t lose your temper like this! It’s just a tiny little octopus — you’re being way too delicate!”

“Damn it!” Du Lai simply had no idea how to curse at her. Delicate? He, a grown man, was being called delicate by a woman!

“How is this even remotely the same situation?!” he raged.

Fu Miaoxue argued back: “How is it not the same? Don’t you know how precious a girl’s face is? I almost got disfigured because of you! And I haven’t even said anything about that — so why are you snapping at me?!”

Du Lai’s face contorted with fury.

If not for the unbearable tension below his waist, he’d have grabbed her right now and given her a good thrashing!

Fu Miaoxue’s eyes darted around. “Why aren’t you moving at all?… Does it really hurt that bad?”

“Obviously!” Du Lai took a long, deep breath and said irritably: “Turn around!”

Fu Miaoxue was briefly taken aback, then let out a humph, turned and walked to the other side of the bonfire. “Like I even care to look — I’m not interested~”

Du Lai suppressed his fury, glaring fiercely at Fu Miaoxue until she turned away. Then he drew another steadying breath and slowly lifted the grass skirt——

It really was an octopus!

Clamped tightly onto his most vital area!

Cold!

And tight!

Du Lai held his breath. One hand held the grass skirt in place while the other reached down, attempting to pry it off.

His fingers approached with extreme caution — but the little octopus seemed to have developed a trauma response to fingers. The moment it was touched, it clamped on even more tightly in panic!

Du Lai’s face went deathly pale in an instant! He simply collapsed!

His knees hit the ground with a thud!

Fu Miaoxue was startled by the sound and turned her head — she saw Du Lai kneeling on the ground, his back arched violently like a shrimp, trembling with barely suppressed agony. His fists slammed hard against the rocky ground twice — he was in excruciating pain!

Fu Miaoxue stared at him blankly, genuinely frightened.

After a moment, she hesitantly walked over and came to stand before Du Lai. From this angle, she could only see his hair — unwashed and unkempt for days — the taut lines of his back, and… his fists, clenched white-knuckled.

She pressed her lips together and asked quietly: “Are you… really in that much pain?”

Du Lai kept his head down and didn’t respond. Only the sound of rough, labored breathing came from him — he was clearly gritting his teeth.

Fu Miaoxue: “…”

A wave of unease washed through her.

After thinking it over, she pulled a half-burned, red-hot stick from the bonfire and said: “Well — maybe you could lift it and I’ll sear it off for you? Just like last time when you helped me burn one off. I promise I won’t burn you — just don’t move around…”

Du Lai, from his position on the ground: “…”

His most precious assets were nearly shattered, and this was what she had to offer him?

“No need.” Those two words were practically squeezed out through his clenched teeth.

Then, slowly and with great difficulty, he stood back up. Step by labored step, he walked toward the jungle.

Fu Miaoxue finally noticed — his face was drenched in sweat, the veins in his neck were visibly bulging. He was clearly in tremendous pain.

“Are you… are you going to be alright?” she asked anxiously. “Do you really not need my help? Don’t force yourself…”

—