Facade of Love

Chatper 290

Chapter 290 Perhaps She Truly Hates Me

I paused for a moment, not avoiding the question, and replied casually, “I encountered a little mishap.” It had been a long time since that had happened. I glanced at him and could not help but smile. “What about you? Why were you left in the primitive forest? Even the super–rich can get abandoned. Was it a kidnapping and conspiracy case, like those intense battles between wealthy families that I’ve heard of?” Those were the only scenarios that came to mind for me.

He gave a faint smile, calmly stating, “I have no family or friends, and nobody dares to pry into my affairs.”

No family or friends?

“Then what was it? Romantic entanglements?” It could not be for financial gain. I hesitated for a moment before continuing, “Or a struggle for power?”

He smiled mysteriously, putting down the mushrooms he had been holding and gazing at me. “You have quite the imagination, but none of those are the case.”

“None of those?” I hesitated for a few seconds. Perhaps it was curiosity, or perhaps I was just feeling gossipy, so I ventured further, “Revenge?”

He paused slightly, his movements becoming slightly rigid. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?” I asked.

He nodded, his deep, almost dark, eyes fixed on me. “Maybe she truly hates me and wishes for my death.”

Hearing this, I nodded and did not inquire any further. My curiosity was satisfied at this point. It would be impolite to continue asking.

After eating and drinking some water, my stomach felt much better, and the warmth from the fire also helped to soothe my body.

Charlie’s complexion had improved as well, perhaps due to having eaten and feeling warmer. I checked the sky, but it remained overcast. We did not have cell phones with us, but Charlie wore an expensive watch, which allowed us to determine the time.

It was around three or four in the afternoon. Waiting here any longer was not realistic. The mountain was already closed off, and there was no way anyone would venture into the mountains now. Continuing to wait here would likely mean no rescue would come, and Charlie’s injury could worsen with time, especially with his persistent fever. Once it got serious, it would become a real problem.

Thinking about this, I looked at him and asked, “Can you continue walking?”

He seemed to understand my thoughts and nodded slightly. His voice was hoarse but still pleasant to hear as he replied, “Yes, let’s go.”

With that, I helped him to his feet.

As we prepared to move forward based on my instincts, he suddenly stopped, looking up at the trees around us.

I did not understand what he was doing and asked, “What’s wrong?”

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He did not respond to me and, after a moment, pointed in a different direction. “Let’s go way.”

this

I hesitated for a few seconds, not understanding why he was changing direction. “Can we get out this way?”

He hummed and said calmly, “When we entered the mountains, I looked at the map. Your mother’s accident site shouldn’t be far from here. If I’m not mistaken, if we keep going in this direction, we should find signs of civilization not too far ahead.”

I was curious about how he could determine that. While supporting him and following the direction he indicated, I asked, “How do you know that going in this direction will lead us to signs of civilization?” After all, we did not have a compass, and it was all dense forest around here. We had been wandering around this forest relying on intuition for quite some time.

He raised an eyebrow slightly and said, “This forest isn’t very large, and the terrain features are relatively clear. You can judge the direction based on the branches and leaves of the trees, as well as the growth of vegetation. You can generally figure it out.”

I was puzzled and asked, “How do you make those judgments?”

He smiled and replied, “I’ll teach you someday.”

With that, he casually brushed off the topic, and while I was curious, I was also relieved to think that we might soon find our way out. However, I suddenly thought of Inch. We had been leaving marks along the way, but I was not sure if he would be able to find us, or he was… Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.

Thinking about this, I could not help but worry and looked at Charlie. “Do you think Inch will be okay?”

Charlie remained silent for a moment and then said, “He’ll be fine. He’s physically fit, and if he encounters any problems, he can take care of himself.”

I hoped that was the case.

Perhaps because we now had a sense of direction, the path ahead felt particularly smooth. As we approached a thicket of bushes after leaving the forest behind, I felt relieved and said to Charlie, “It seems like we’re getting out of here.”

Charlie nodded slightly, a faint smile on his lips. “As long as it’s not in the middle of a dense forest, we won’t get lost again.”