He instinctively clenched his hand tighter.

His brows and eyes were lowered, as if he was anticipating something.

Hannah paused for a moment, her gaze moving downward to rest on that tightly fisted hand.

She began to smile, her voice warm and soft, "Arnold, were you just thinking about me..."

The words that followed were not fit for children.

Arnold’s body tensed instantly, somewhat groggy, his heartbeat quickened—thud, thud, thud—resounding as if it was right next to his ear.

He couldn’t hide it at all.

"No..."

He wanted to say no.

But Hannah caught his hand, urging him not to lie.

He sighed, yielding, "Yeah, I thought about it for a moment."

Just for a moment.

Hannah leaned against his shoulder and nuzzled him gently, her voice quiet and soft like a whisper, "Arnold, you can think about it many more times."

She placed her hand in his palm.

Arnold grasped it tightly, unable to resist squeezing it gently, his voice husky, "I’ll think about it later."

As he spoke, his gaze involuntarily fell upon Hannah.

Admiring her bright face and the rosy hue of her lips.

Hannah felt that Arnold now seemed more innocent than before.

But that wasn’t quite right.

Her Arnold had always been innocent; he just used to be more composed before.

Even when his heart fluttered wildly, his demeanor remained calm and serene.

Proper, yet abstinent.

Now, he was merely letting his true nature show.

She smiled, and taking advantage of his inattention, she leaned in and kissed his left cheek lightly.

A mere brush, like a dragonfly skimming the water.

After kissing him, she ran off.

Arnold sat there, warmth spreading across his face, unable to suppress the smile on his lips.

...

They took advantage of the sun not yet set and, following Arnold’s suggestion, collected dry branches and leaves to burn the mutated creatures’ corpses to ashes, preventing the scent of blood from attracting other mutants.

By the time they finished, night had completely fallen.

The closer they got to the center of Blackwood Forest, the colder it became.

Jinlian and Da Bai huddled closely together, warming each other.

Arnold added a branch to the fire to make the flames burn even more vigorously.

Hannah had just bathed, her hair still wet, occasionally dripping water.

Gregory... Gregory was sleeping soundly.

The night was so quiet that the sound of the wind and water all around became extraordinarily clear, as if they were whispering in one’s ear.

The night sky was a deep blue, making the stars twinkle with exceptional brilliance.

Arnold pulled out a clean, soft cloth from a nearby backpack and extended his hand towards Hannah, "Come here."

Hannah was feeling drowsy from the warmth of the firelight and only after some time did she look up, "Hmm?"

Her soft reply had a slightly rising inflection at the end.

"What is it?"

She opened her eyes, and sleepy warmth filled them, reflecting the firelight.

Arnold said, "Come over and dry your hair."

Obediently, Hannah sat down beside him, turning so that her back faced him.

Her hair, wet from the bath, was still soft and had separated into strands that clung to her white coat, the contrast of black and white creating a particularly soft and clean appearance.

Hannah bowed her head, her face buried in her palms, unabashedly drowsy. Her voice was muffled and lazy, "Arnold, you have to be quick."

Arnold covered Hannah’s head with the white, soft cloth, rubbing it gently. His voice was low, "I can’t be quick."

The warmth from his palm warmed her head. Hannah took a moment to react, and then couldn’t help but chuckle.

After she laughed, she couldn’t help but yawn.

"Arnold, I’m so sleepy."

"Mhm," Arnold responded softly, continuing to patiently dry her soft, long hair.