“Where is it? Where is it?” Hua Mu grew excited. She pressed down on Bai Zhen’s shoulders and straightened up, trying to see the river Bai Zhen had mentioned.

Bai Zhen quickened her pace, still carrying Hua Mu on her back. “It’s just ahead.”

As Bai Zhen moved forward, Hua Mu finally saw the river she had spoken of. Compared to the small creek they had found before, this could truly be called a river.

The freshwater nourished the soil and diluted the seawater, allowing the vegetation around the river to extend far out onto the beach. It took Hua Mu a moment to spot the river’s mouth.

Compared to the great rivers inland, this one was by no means large; its mouth was no more than ten meters wide. Due to colloidal flocculation, a small, triangular shoal had formed where the river met the sea, and plants even grew upon it.

This was the kind of environment that could only form within a stable ecosystem. So, despite its modest size, the river was highly unlikely to ever run dry.

It was a real river—the kind deep enough to submerge a person, a river you could swim in!

Hua Mu cried out in excitement. “It’s water! Bai Zhen, it’s freshwater! Hurry, hurry, let’s get in!”

But Bai Zhen slowed her pace. “Miss, I’ll go and scout it out first.”

The Sentinel’s caution was one of the main reasons Hua Mu felt secure. Realizing she had been a little too worked up, she cleared her throat. “Alright… You be careful, too.”

Bai Zhen set Hua Mu down several dozen meters from the river’s mouth and slowly waded into the water herself.

The water where the fresh and saltwater mixed looked a bit murky, but it grew clearer after she waded a dozen meters upstream. The vegetation on both banks was dense, forming a natural canopy over the river. Vines and branches drooped to the water’s surface, making it difficult to climb onto the banks.

The water wasn’t particularly cold, nor was the current very swift, likely because the river widened as it approached the sea. At its deepest point, it was less than a meter and a half.

There were no fish in this stretch of water, and after checking several times, Bai Zhen found no other potential dangers.

Hua Mu was finally allowed into the water, but another awkward issue immediately presented itself: Bai Zhen would definitely stay while she bathed.

It was non-negotiable; Hua Mu could tell just by looking at Bai Zhen’s stern face. The Sentinel stood beside her like a tower, showing no intention of leaving, and Hua Mu couldn’t be bothered to waste her breath arguing.

“Take off your underwear.”

If I have to be naked, then we’ll both be naked. That’s only fair!

Bai Zhen clearly hadn’t expected Hua Mu to say something like that. She froze for a long moment before replying, troubled, “Miss, you probably wouldn’t be able to wear my underwear, and besides, it’s not clean…”

This damned Sentinel! What does she take me for?!

Hua Mu was about to explode with rage. She had no desire to wear someone else’s underwear!

“I was telling you to wash yourself too! Who wants to wear your clothes?!”

Bai Zhen realized she had misunderstood the Young Lady’s intentions and was overcome with embarrassment.

“I’m sorry…”

Hua Mu glared at her, fuming.

Besides, what did she mean, wouldn’t be able to wear? Was having big breasts something to be proud of?

She couldn’t help but glance down at her own flat chest. Well, actually, it is pretty impressive.

“Hmph.”

The tall Sentinel seemed to shrink in on herself with shame, her head hanging in dejection.

She didn’t understand how she could have misinterpreted it so badly. It was just that the Young Lady had seemed to be staring at her underwear all day, so she had assumed…

“I’m going to bathe now, and you’ll wash too. But you have to keep your back to me. If you dare turn around, I’ll kill you!”

Hua Mu threatened fiercely, and Bai Zhen naturally complied.

She knew the Young Lady was modest. Unlike herself, who was used to communal bathing, her charge had probably never been naked in front of another person.

Bathing in the wild was already a great grievance for the Young Lady; how could she possibly embarrass her further on purpose?

“Yes.”

The Sentinel was a person of action. She began undressing as she spoke. Startled, Hua Mu quickly turned her head away, mentally cursing Bai Zhen for giving her no time to prepare.

She has so little shame!

“Y-You, get undressed and get in the water first. Keep your back to me, and don’t you dare turn around.”

Bai Zhen obeyed and entered the water. Hua Mu waited a long while before daring to turn and check on the situation.

The Sentinel stood not far away. The water only came up to her waist, leaving her bare, toned back completely exposed to Hua Mu’s gaze. The sharp tan lines seemed to make the contours of her muscles even more distinct, and Hua Mu finally saw the scar from her previous injury.

On the left side of her back, between her spine and shoulder blade, was a faint mark. It wasn’t obvious, but it was enough to hint at the danger she had faced.

That spot… it really wasn’t far from the heart.

Hua Mu’s heart clenched, and a wave of belated fear washed over her. That had been the first time she had seen the formidable Sentinel fall, the first time she had realized… that Bai Zhen was a person of flesh and blood.

Hua Mu shook her head, trying to banish the sentimental thoughts from her mind.

She couldn’t afford to think too much right now. It was too dangerous!

“Miss, I won’t turn around. You can rest assured,” Bai Zhen promised, likely noticing Hua Mu’s long hesitation. “Even if I’m forced to, I’ll keep my eyes closed.”

“Hmph. As if you’d dare.”

Driven by the confusing emotions stirring within her, Hua Mu unconsciously reverted to her cold, sharp tone.

Why am I always worrying about this Sentinel? I’m the one in a worse predicament!

Hua Mu grumbled as she slipped out of her dress, then cautiously moved to Bai Zhen’s side. It was, after all, the safest spot.

They stood only two or three meters apart, practically within arm’s reach for a Sentinel. It was close enough for her to react to any unexpected event.

For Hua Mu, bathing was secondary to washing her platinum-blonde hair. Her waist-length locks had suffered from a lack of care and being constantly tied up, making them incredibly difficult to wash. This was despite Bai Zhen having carved a comb for her, which she used periodically. Without it, she might have found bird eggs nesting in her hair.

Hua Mu had to submerge her hair in the water, combing it through little by little. She bent over for so long her back felt like it would break, but she finally managed to get her hair somewhat smooth.

The beautiful hair she had once been so proud of had now become her greatest nuisance.

Bai Zhen was much quicker. She finished washing herself in no time and was already standing guard, fully alert.

Hua Mu wrung out her hair and twisted it up behind her head with a twig. As she looked up, her eyes once again fell on the Sentinel’s back.

Though she forced herself to ignore the other woman, her gaze was still drawn to her uncontrollably.

Too dangerous!

It must be the island effect. That’s why my attention keeps drifting to Bai Zhen without me realizing it. After all, who else is here?

She turned away in a huff, but after a moment’s hesitation, she turned back around.

I-It’s not like I want to look at her body! It’s just… if I don’t watch her, how will I know if she’s watching me?

Bai Zhen, of course, was oblivious to Hua Mu’s convoluted thoughts. She scanned their surroundings, contemplating their next move.

Finding a source of fresh water was a relief, but it was a considerable distance from their camp. Making the trip every day would be too time-consuming.

But if they were to relocate their camp here, they would have to scout the area all over again and build a new shelter.

An abundant water source was a good thing, but it also meant frequent rain, high humidity, and more difficulty starting fires.

Personally, Bai Zhen preferred to return to their original camp, but the final decision rested with Hua Mu.

Hua Mu spent the better part of an hour scrubbing herself clean from head to toe.

After her bath came the laundry, which presented another dilemma for the Young Lady. It wasn’t the first time she’d had to wear damp clothes and let her body heat dry them, so she knew just how uncomfortable it was. She could tolerate it when she was already dirty, but now that she was freshly clean, the thought of putting on wet clothes was unbearable.

“Hey, let me borrow your jacket.”

In the end, Hua Mu decided to commandeer Bai Zhen’s tattered jacket.

“Miss, are you finished?”

“Yes. Go get your jacket. And don’t turn around.”

“Alright.”

Bai Zhen didn’t know what Hua Mu was planning, but if she was willing to offer up her own body, she certainly didn’t mind her jacket being requisitioned.

The Sentinel’s large jacket was just long enough to cover the tops of the Young Lady’s thighs. As long as she was careful, she wouldn’t expose herself.

This time, Hua Mu’s fastidiousness won out over her sense of shame. She would rather go commando than put on underwear that wasn’t completely dry!

Bai Zhen washed the clothes.

It was only when Hua Mu considered washing her clothes that she realized she couldn’t possibly squat down in her current state of dress.

Besides, washing clothes with a bare bottom was far too undignified!

Fortunately, thanks to the experience with her last period, Hua Mu’s resistance to Bai Zhen washing her clothes wasn’t as strong as it had been.

With Hua Mu wearing her jacket, all of the Young Lady’s clothes could be washed. Bai Zhen, for her part, only washed her athletic briefs for the time being.

While she didn’t mind being naked, she knew Hua Mu wouldn’t be able to accept it, so she put her underwear and trousers back on for the time being.

For the first time since arriving on the island, Hua Mu had a proper, refreshing bath. Her mood lifted, and she no longer felt so embarrassed seeing her undergarments fluttering in the sea breeze—after all, Bai Zhen’s were drying right there too!

Shared shame was much better than being ashamed alone!

Waiting for their clothes to dry was a tedious process. At first, Hua Mu wandered around the edge of the rainforest with some interest, hoping to find something useful. But after half an hour, then an hour, she was getting tired of standing.

The northern side of the island was more humid, and the cloud cover blocked much of the sun, so their clothes were drying noticeably slower than they would have on the southern side.

Hua Mu used to walk less than a kilometer a day, and since arriving on the island, she had mostly been a human pendant. How could she possibly stand for so long?

Moreover, her body still hadn’t recovered from the previous day’s overexertion. After standing for nearly an hour, her legs were sore and numb.

But she couldn’t sit down; it wouldn’t be proper to sit anywhere in her current commando state. She couldn’t sit, she couldn’t squat, and lying down was completely out of the question!

Hua Mu figured she might become the first noble lady in history to die of exhaustion from standing too long.