For Qin Ruoshuang, who had grown up surrounded by luxury, the reality of her situation hit hard, despite her mental preparations. Even with all her resolve, she was struggling.
Qin Ruoshuang took the initiative to remove her wet white underwear. Wearing it in this environment would almost certainly lead to health issues down the line. After hanging it to dry on a nearby hill, she lay down behind it, shielding herself from the sea breeze while enduring the intense pain wracking her body. If it weren't for Zhang Liu's presence giving her a sense of security, the agony might have driven her to despair—perhaps even to the point of wanting to end it all.
"Um… I can tell you're not feeling well!" Zhang Liu nodded earnestly, trying his best to avoid staring at the underwear on the ground. "Uh, Qin Ruoshuang, what's wrong?"
"It's probably just the climate here… I'm not used to it, so I feel a bit off…" Qin Ruoshuang walked over, grabbed her underwear, and stuffed it into the back pocket of her skirt. Leaning against the hill, she breathed shallowly, the sharp pain in her stomach making it impossible to even consider sitting down.
"I found some foam we can use as a cushion…" Zhang Liu glanced at her, noticing her discomfort, and gestured to the foam board nearby. "You can put it under you so you don't have to sit directly on the sand."
"Okay," Qin Ruoshuang nodded faintly. She stepped toward the foam to pick it up, but as she bent down, Zhang Liu instinctively grabbed her hand.
Her hand was soft, delicate, and smooth, like holding a piece of fine jade. For Zhang Liu, a seventeen-year-old who had never been in a relationship, the sensation left him momentarily dazed.
Qin Ruoshuang froze, her heart racing—not out of fear, but from shyness. She had never had such close physical contact with a boy her age. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she said calmly, "I can set it up myself."
"Sorry!" Zhang Liu quickly let go, flustered. "There's a blade hidden in the top two foam boards. I was worried you might accidentally hurt yourself…"
He trailed off mid-sentence as Qin Ruoshuang suddenly stumbled and collapsed onto the beach. Her face, usually fair and radiant, was now deathly pale. Her lips were pressed tightly together, and she propped herself up with her arms to keep from falling completely.
"Are you okay?" Zhang Liu rushed to her side, gently helping her up and guiding her to lean against a small rock.
Qin Ruoshuang tried to cooperate, but the searing pain in her lower abdomen made it impossible to focus on anything else. She gave a faint shake of her head to signal she was fine, then closed her eyes and continued resting against the rock.
Her small gesture was enough to ease Zhang Liu's worry slightly. But then he noticed bright red bloodstains on the sand where she had been. Is she injured? he wondered, stunned. After carefully inspecting her condition and the spot where she had fallen, he realized the blood was coming from a specific area. It didn't take long for him to piece it together—she was on her period.
Having two younger sisters at home, Zhang Liu wasn't completely clueless about menstruation. He knew the basics: keep warm, drink hot water, eat enough to maintain energy, and try to stay in good spirits. But on this deserted island, those things were easier said than done. Hot water? A balanced diet? A cheerful mood? Those were pipe dreams in their current situation.
Then, a recent "menstrual hack" popped into his mind: sun-heated stones. Apparently, sitting on a warm, hemispherical stone could send soothing heat through the body, easing the pain. The beach was littered with rocks, so maybe it could work? But after taking a few steps and inspecting the stones, Zhang Liu shook his head with a wry smile. The idea was absurd. Even if he could find a warm stone, it would cool off quickly, and moving one would be a Herculean task.
After some thought, Zhang Liu decided to make do with what they had. He spread out two large pieces of foam behind the rock to create a makeshift bed, then carefully helped Qin Ruoshuang lie down on it. He didn't hesitate to use the rest of the foam boards—originally meant for his own use or as spares—to build a small shelter. Digging three shallow trenches in the sand, he propped the foam boards up to form a cozy, enclosed space that could offer Qin Ruoshuang some warmth.
Though the small rock wasn't as hot as a sun-baked road stone, it still retained some heat from the day's sun. Soon, Qin Ruoshuang felt her body begin to warm up, and the sharp pain in her abdomen started to ease. Her breathing, though still shallow, was less labored than before.
Feeling the cool sea breeze now tempered by the warmth of the rock, Zhang Liu sat next to Qin Ruoshuang's foam shelter, soaking in the residual heat.
"Thanks…" A faint, weak voice came from the "room" beside him.
"You're awake?" Zhang Liu turned to see Qin Ruoshuang struggling to sit up. He quickly reached out to support her.
"I didn't pass out," she said, her strength slowly returning. "It just hurt so much earlier that I closed my eyes."
"My sisters' periods were never this bad," Zhang Liu said, scratching his head. Noticing her go quiet, he quickly changed the subject. "Do you think the rescue team will come tomorrow?"
"I don't know…" Qin Ruoshuang shook her head, her voice uncertain. "But they'll come, right?"
Her words carried little conviction, more a hope than a certainty. She felt a pang of helplessness, her eyes welling up despite her efforts to hold back tears. She sniffed hard, determined not to cry, but the tears slipped out silently.
"Are you crying?" Zhang Liu asked, hearing the soft sniffles beside him.
Qin Ruoshuang didn't respond, but her suppressed sobs grew louder. "I'm so scared…" she said, turning to face him in the moonlight. "What if rescue doesn't come tomorrow? What do we do then?"
"I don't know," Zhang Liu admitted, equally at a loss. After a long pause, he offered a weak suggestion. "At least we can eat coconuts for breakfast tomorrow."
There was no reply. Turning to look, he saw that Qin Ruoshuang had fallen asleep, exhausted from crying.
Though it seemed odd, Zhang Liu didn't dwell on it. Curling up against the foam board, he succumbed to the day's fatigue and soon drifted into a deep sleep.
But around midnight, he was jolted awake.
"There's a wolf!" Qin Ruoshuang, pressed against the cold rock, shook him urgently. "Did you hear that?"
"Huh?" Zhang Liu blinked groggily, still half-asleep and confused by her panic.
Before she could say more, a chilling howl pierced the night from the forest behind them.
"Awoo…"
"Awoo…"
"Awoo!"
In the bright moonlight, Zhang Liu and Qin Ruoshuang stared at each other, their faces pale with fear.