Chapter 28

In the forest, Zhen Fan did not mention anything about the encounter. Instead, it was Julia and Zoe who talked about the fog in the forest, and Zhen Fan even laughed at their small courage. The appearance of fog in the forest was a common phenomenon, and Zhen Fan deliberately used a light tone, which reduced the two people's concerns a lot.

It was already very late, and Zhen Fan looked at his watch; it was almost nine o'clock. At that moment, Thomas, taking advantage of the good mood, suggested living on the riverbank and catching some fish to grill.

"No fires in the forest!" Annie firmly opposed Thomas's suggestion. With no choice, the group had to suppress their excitement and go to bed early, each entering their own tent.

Zhen Fan crawled into his sleeping bag and turned on a small rechargeable lamp, which could be clamped onto the tent frame and extended right in front of his sleeping bag, making it very convenient to read. Just as he set up the lamp, he looked up and saw the English letters "Made in China" at the bottom of the lamp, which made him laugh and cry at the same time.

However, the lighting effect was good, and the design was quite convenient. This time, Zhen Fan did not bring any medical books but instead a book introducing the United States, detailing the customs, geography, and topography of various places in the U.S. Since he would be living here for a long time, he needed to learn more about it.

For Zhen Fan, as a Chinese person, living in the U.S. for a long time would definitely be uncomfortable. However, the U.S. had regulations that new green card holders must stay in the U.S. for a certain period each year, and each departure could not exceed 40 days. Of course, if he could obtain U.S. citizenship, there would be no restrictions. However, Zhen Fan did not want to apply for U.S. citizenship for the time being.

"Zhen!" Suddenly, someone called his name in a low voice from outside the tent.

Zhen Fan looked up and saw a silhouette outside. He said in a low voice, "Is it Zoe?" As he spoke, he lifted his hand and opened the tent.

Sure enough, it was Zoe. She had her arms crossed, wearing only a T-shirt and bare legs, and she slipped in.

Zoe's current appearance was very sexy. Despite wearing a T-shirt, it was clear she wasn't wearing a bra, and her nipples were clearly visible. The hem of the T-shirt just covered her buttocks, making it look like she wasn't wearing anything underneath.

"It's so cold, I want to snuggle with you!"

Without giving Zhen Fan a chance to respond, Zoe directly crawled into his sleeping bag. The two of them squeezed together, fitting tightly with almost no space between them!

"Quick, pull the curtain closed!" Zoe called out to Zhen Fan.

"Okay!" Zhen Fan reacted quickly, pulling the tent closed and then carefully lying down in the sleeping bag. With a beautiful woman in his arms, he dared not move around much.

"Are you stunned?" Zoe tried to suppress her laughter, looking at Zhen Fan's embarrassed expression. This made her find him more interesting, far more than his distant and cold attitude.

"Hug me!" Zoe's warm breath sprayed into Zhen Fan's ear, causing his body to shiver. This reaction made Zoe even more delighted.

Zhen Fan complied and hugged Zoe, but her smooth legs were already intertwined with his, and the cold gradually turned into a warm sensation.

"Are you a virgin?" Zoe giggled, wrapping her arms around Zhen Fan's neck. "I heard Chinese boys are quite conservative, it seems to be true..."

"Not... We've only known each other for two days!" Zhen Fan said勉强地.

"But... you saved me, didn't you? Just today!" Zoe's breath was like a gentle breeze, "You're my hero!" Clearly, she wasn't satisfied with just this, and with a flip, she pressed Zhen Fan down, and a hard bulge pressed against her thigh.

"It seems the rumors aren't true!" Zoe's eyes sparkled, and because of the sleeping bag, their faces were almost touching. This intimate posture made Zhen Fan's blood rush.

"No, no, Zoe, listen to me!" Zhen Fan felt he was losing control and quickly pushed Zoe off him, "We can't do this..."

"Am I not attractive enough?" Zoe felt a bit defeated, her tone slightly resentful.

Zhen Fan shook his head and smiled bitterly, "No, it's my problem. I'm not ready, really. You know, Chinese men usually see sex and love as one, so..."

"Do you love me?"

Zoe's tone was a bit melancholic but still held a hint of hope.

"You're a great girl, really, beautiful, charming... but we've only known each other for two days, right?" Zhen Fan shrugged helplessly. If she continued to纠缠 him, he might not be able to resist. He needed to get rid of her quickly.

"Or you can touch me here!" Zoe suddenly grabbed Zhen Fan's hand and pressed it to her chest, but he quickly pulled it away.

"Alright, then tell me when you'll be ready!" Zoe pouted, clearly not satisfied.

"When I fall in love with you!" Zhen Fan wanted to make a joke, but for some reason, he said it.

Zoe probably wouldn't achieve anything today, so she reluctantly crawled out of the sleeping bag, "Zhen, remember what I said today, don't fall in love with me!" She pulled the curtain open and went out. Just as she left, she stuck her head back in.

"You'll fall in love with me, I promise!"

She pulled her head back in, and the tent became quiet. Zhen Fan couldn't help but smile. American girls were indeed much more open than those in China, daring to sleep with him like this. Fortunately, he still had his principles. "Amitabha, good, good," he muttered, though he knew it was a joke.

"Amitabha? Pfft."

"Damn it!" Zoe couldn't help but curse as she entered her tent, but a small smile of satisfaction appeared on her face.

"It looks like you lost!" Julia, who was reading a book under a lamp, looked up and laughed when she saw Zoe enter, "But you're still smiling, that's unexpected."

"But this proves one thing, Zhen is a gentleman, at least he doesn't fall for every girl!" Zoe defended herself. She had crawled into Zhen Fan's tent because it was dark early and there was nothing to do, and she had made a bet with Julia.

"Did you really think you'd win? I knew it, that's why I bet with you."

Julia's victorious attitude made Zoe open her mouth, but she finally thought of a response, "Not necessarily. If it were a big-breasted mammal like you, Zhen might have been tempted. Why don't you try?"

"Go to hell!"

Julia threw a pillow at her, hitting Zoe on the head. Zoe didn't back down and the two women started a playful fight in the tent, which lasted for a while before gradually calming down. The lights were turned off, and the riverbank became quiet, filled with the sounds of insects.

The next morning, when Julia and Zoe got out of their tents, they only saw Annie and Claire washing their faces by the river. Claire waved at them as soon as she saw them.

Thomas was fishing, but Zhen Fan was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Zhen?" Zoe asked Thomas, who was fishing.

Thomas turned around, put his finger to his lips, and made a "shh" gesture, then lowered his voice, "He went into the forest over there. I don't know what he's doing, but I told him that the animals here should not be his prey, or he might get sued!"

"Alright, I'll go find him!" Zoe turned to leave without hesitation.

"Hey, Zoe, what are you doing?" Julia called her back, "At least we should have breakfast, right? He'll be back soon, won't he? Or... do you like him?" She winked and made a teasing face.

"Nonsense, I just... have nothing to do!" Zoe didn't admit it but gave up the idea of finding Zhen Fan.

"Ladies, we have fresh fish soup!"

Thomas pulled a fish out of the water and called out excitedly.

"Alright, I'll go wash my face first, Julia, let's go together!" Zoe called to Julia and walked towards the river, pinching Claire's cheek, making her roll her eyes.

The sunlight in the forest created a dappled pattern on the ground, and the visibility was still good.

Zhen Fan slowly made his way to the direction he had gone yesterday. He had been thinking about it all night, wondering if he could find anything.

The direction was basically correct, and although there was no fog in the forest, Zhen Fan was cautious, taking each step carefully.

Gradually, he approached the place where he had rescued Claire yesterday. There was still a faint odor in the air, but it wasn't very strong. It might be gone by noon when the sun was stronger.

At the spot where the monster had disappeared yesterday, there were still some faint yellow bubbles on the ground, but there was also a faint mark, as if it were a symbol.

Zhen Fan quickly pulled the leaves off the ground.

It was a cross shape, but this cross was quite strange, with horizontal lines on all four sides, like a "Jia" character with the sides not connected.

Zhen Fan took out his phone and took a picture of the shape.

This was probably not a coincidence. Zhen Fan tried to control himself from thinking the worst, but he couldn't help feeling a sense of unease.

However, the only comforting thing was that the Chinese Daoist methods he had learned from his master were still effective in the U.S., clearly relying on the natural laws of heaven and earth, which should not be limited by region. This gave Zhen Fan endless confidence.

After taking the picture, Zhen Fan put away his phone and decided to walk a bit further to see if there were any new discoveries.

"Hey, Zhen, you're here! The fish soup is ready, come have breakfast!" A woman's voice came from behind, and he recognized it as Zoe.

He turned around and saw Zoe wearing a tight T-shirt and low-waist jeans, a very sexy outfit. She even posed with a hip sway and a twist, clearly still trying to seduce him.

"Alright, I'm done!" Zhen Fan turned around and, as he did, casually erased the symbol on the ground, then followed Zoe.

"Was Claire found here?"

Zoe was making small talk.

"Yes, she was a bit tired and had already fallen asleep. Fortunately, nothing scared her!" Zhen Fan smiled and couldn't help but look at Zoe again.

Last night, Claire wasn't scared, but Zoe was.

Zoe, seeing Zhen Fan's mischievous gaze, glared at him and walked quickly ahead.

As they walked out of the forest, they heard Thomas calling, "We have fresh fish soup, come and try my cooking!"

"Isn't it forbidden to make a fire?"

Zhen Fan couldn't help but ask Zoe beside him.

"He did it secretly and destroyed the evidence afterward, so no one will know!" Zoe smiled proudly, a common trick for those who often camp outdoors.