Evelyn and Liam leaned against a large tree.

Normally, they talked a lot, but now they were unusually quiet, with only the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze.

It was remarkably quiet, the heat stifling even the insects into silence.

Evelyn noticed Liam's breathing growing heavier.

She turned to look at him and saw sweat streaming down his forehead.

She gently reached out and touched his forehead, feeling the alarming heat.

"Liam, you have a high fever."

Liam barely opened his eyes, his gaze unfocused. "I'm fine, Evelyn."

Evelyn shook her head firmly.
"You might have an infection from your wound causing the fever. I have some medical supplies from my mission in Africa. I need to go to the plane wreckage to get them."

Liam anxiously said, "No, Evelyn, that's too dangerous! You don't know if there's a risk of explosion or other dangers in there."

Evelyn looked at Liam, determination in her eyes. "Liam, you need medicine to prevent your condition from worsening. You're in serious trouble right now."

"Evelyn..." Liam's voice was low, filled with deep helplessness and concern.

Evelyn didn't say anything more. She just gently patted Liam's hand to reassure him.

Then, she stood up and walked towards the plane wreckage.

When Evelyn ensured she was out of Liam's sight, she sat down by a large tree. 

She took out a sharp piece of metal from her pocket, examining it in the sunlight. Finding it not sharp enough, she began to grind it with a stone. 

Once satisfied, she took out a bottle of melatonin, tearing off the label. 

She stared at the two items, deep in thought, as if two voices were arguing in her mind:

"This is your best chance. You'll never get another one! Isn't this what you've been preparing for all these years?" 

"But this wasn't her original intention! Plus, survival chances are higher with two people on a deserted island."

"That useless man only drags Evelyn down! She even gave him her water. Without him, Evelyn would last longer."

 "This is murder! And the full details are still unclear."

"Enough!" Evelyn exclaimed, holding her head in frustration. 

She put away the metal piece and prepared to return.

"Liam, I'm back. Fortune favors us stranded souls," Evelyn said cautiously, helping Liam up and giving him water and medicine.

Liam struggled to swallow the medicine and water, looking extremely weak.

When Evelyn handed Liam the water bottle again, his hand trembled as he reached out but missed.

Evelyn's heart pounded as she closely observed Liam.

His hand swiped through the air again without finding the bottle. Evelyn's heart skipped a beat.

Her mind raced with a thought—Liam might be unable to see！

She noticed this anomaly and asked with a trembling voice, "Liam, is your eyesight affected by the fever?"

Liam weakly smiled, trying to comfort her. "It's just a bit blurry, Evelyn. Don't worry."

She stared at Liam, her voice filled with anxiety and pain. "Have you been like this for a while and not told me?"

Liam weakly smiled again, his tone gentle but helpless. "I just didn't want you to worry too much."

Evelyn brought the water bottle to Liam's mouth. "Liam, drink some more."

Liam shook his head slightly. "Evelyn, I know you've been saving most of the water for me. You're the one who needs it more."

Evelyn smiled, pretending to be lighthearted. "I'm not that foolish. Besides, I really found more water. I'm not lying." She picked up a water bottle and guided Liam's hand to it. "Feel it. It's full."

Liam weighed the bottle in his hand, seemingly verifying its weight. The bottle felt heavy, and a faint smile of trust appeared on Liam's face as he seemed to believe Evelyn's words.

"See, I wasn't lying," Evelyn said.

As the medicine started to take effect, Liam felt slightly better. He looked at Evelyn with concern.

"Evelyn, I'm feeling better. You haven't slept for a long time. If you keep this up, you'll collapse before I do. Get some rest. I'll keep watch."

Evelyn didn't protest, closing her eyes tiredly and quickly falling asleep.

Once Liam was sure she was asleep, he sighed softly and started to search. Soon, he found the water bottle Evelyn had given him earlier.

He shook it, then unscrewed the cap and turned the bottle over. Sand poured out silently.

Liam's face showed a complex expression. He murmured to himself,

"Evelyn, you're so good to me. How can I repay you? You're like an angel."

Tears glistened in Liam's eyes as he felt an unprecedented surge of emotion. Since his parents had passed away, no one had ever cared for him so much.

He gently held Evelyn's hand, silently vowing to protect her and do everything he could to help her through this ordeal.

Suddenly, the weather turned ominously dark. What had been a sunny, cloudless sky was now covered in thick clouds. Although Liam's vision was blurry, he could still sense the dimming light.

Soon, a low rumble of thunder sounded, and he guessed it was going to rain.

Sure enough, large raindrops began to fall. Overjoyed, he wanted to wake Evelyn, but when he shook her, he found she was unresponsive, trapped in a terrible nightmare.

Tears streamed down her face as she mumbled, "Dad, don't leave me... We can work together to pay off the debt... It doesn't matter if the company went bankrupt. I'll do my best to help you..."

Hearing these fragmented words, Liam's heart clenched.

From her mutterings, Liam inferred that Evelyn had experienced immense emotional trauma, having witnessed her father's suicide after his company went bankrupt. This made him feel even more for her.

As the rain intensified, Liam used a coconut shell to catch the rainwater and carefully fed it to Evelyn. Her lips moved slightly, seemingly drinking the water instinctively.

"Dad, don't leave me,"

Liam softly said, "I will never leave you. I'll always be with you."

Liam knew this wasn't just a friend's comfort; it was a man's promise to a woman.

In the storm, Liam held Evelyn tightly, trying to warm her unconscious body with his own, like a couple embracing each other.

Against the merciless elements, they seemed so small, yet their determination and unique human resilience and warmth defied nature's threats, showcasing their courage, resolve, and unwavering spirit.

The wind howled, thunder roared, and the rain poured down in torrents, enveloping the island in a dense curtain of water, as if the heavens were weeping. Raindrops hit the ground like heavy drumbeats.

Liam held the unconscious Evelyn tightly, feeling her faint breaths.

Just then, he heard the sound of a helicopter, and a wave of excitement surged through him.

"Evelyn, wake up! Our rescue is finally here!"

Liam called out anxiously, but Evelyn remained unresponsive.

He propped himself up with a thick stick, standing up and waving at the helicopter in the sky, shouting with all his might, but the rain and the helicopter's noise drowned out his voice.

He waved his shirt, trying to get the helicopter's attention, but it was all in vain. Despair filled his heart as he watched the helicopter's sound gradually fade away.

"I can't give up. There must be a way!"" Liam thought resolutely. 

Though his vision was blurry, he used the sound as his guide, struggling towards the direction of the helicopter. 

He fell countless times, each time trembling as he forced himself back up. 

Remembering everything he had sacrificed and abandoned to get to this point, he gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain in his leg, and pressed on. 

"I cannot die on this forsaken island,"he told himself. "I will make it back alive."

Liam thought determinedly. Despite his blurry vision, he followed the sound, trying to head in the direction of the helicopter.

Eventually, the pain overwhelmed him, making it impossible for him to stand. 

He had no choice but to abandon the wooden stick in his hand, biting back the agony as he dragged one leg, desperately crawling through the mud. 

At first, despite his body's protests, he managed to keep moving. 

However, as time passed, the pain became unbearable. His fingers were shredded and bleeding, each touch feeling like searing fire. Blood continuously oozed from his injured leg, with the pain like countless needles piercing his skin, making him gasp with every step. 

Each movement brought waves of pain crashing through him, striking his nerves and nearly causing him to lose consciousness.

Liam's crawling slowed to a crawl; at first, he could barely drag his body, but as the pain intensified, every inch became a monumental challenge. 

His fingers were numb, almost devoid of sensation, while the muscles in his shoulders and back spasmed from exhaustion. 

Each effort felt like tearing at his broken body, each advance a struggle at the edge of his limits.

Gradually, Liam almost came to a halt.

His arms could no longer support his weight, and he could only move in the mud through sheer willpower. 

His breathing grew increasingly labored, as if even the air had thinned. 

Each attempt to move felt like being pinned by a boulder, rendering him nearly immobile. 

His cries for help weakened, swallowed by the endless pain and despair.

Yet, just as his consciousness began to fade, a whiff of gasoline suddenly hit his nose. 

Startled, Liam's heart started racing. In that instant, his mind jolted awake, as if electrified. 

The acrid smell of gasoline pierced through his exhaustion and pain, igniting a spark of hope deep within him.

It was a piece of plane wreckage, surrounded by flammable materials. 

An idea struck him, and he quickly pulled out the lighter from his pocket. Knowing that igniting these materials could be fatal, he hesitated not a moment before setting the flammables alight and throwing them away.

Flames roared to life in the rain, spreading rapidly. 

A tremendous explosion shook the entire island, and Liam was thrown back by the shockwave, his consciousness slipping away.

In the final moment before he blacked out, Evelyn's smile flashed in his mind: "My dear Evelyn, you shouldn't have died on a deserted island. You deserved a better future. Wish us luck." 

Then, darkness consumed his senses, and he finally passed out, unaware of his surroundings.

Next Chapter Preview:

"Liam found himself deeply in love with Evelyn, so he confessed his feelings to her. However, Evelyn responded with a shake of her head."

Emma's Message:

Emma approaches a kind stranger and says,

"I've lost my readers. Can you help me find them?"

The stranger asks, "What do they look like?"

Emma replies, "They love to like and comment. They really enjoy my work and always leave lots of supportive messages."

The stranger then says, "I found someone. Is this one of your readers?"

Emma excitedly exclaims, "Yes, yes!"

Suddenly, a whole crowd appears.

The stranger asks, "Are these your readers too?"

Emma laughs joyfully, "Yes, they all are!"

But then Emma wakes up, and it was all just a dream.