Chapter 3 Coconut Milk Mango Flavor
Chapter 3 Coconut Milk Mango Flavor
Attracted by the call from above, Lezhi suddenly looked up and finally discovered the unexpected visitor perched on a high branch.
A fluffy, ball-like creature stood on a branch, as carefree as a plant growing there. Seeing that Lezhi had noticed it, two tiny, beady eyes appeared on its round body as it looked back at Lezhi.
Not knowing whether the furball was friend or foe, Lezhi did not act rashly, but let the furball observe him, trying to remain unchanged in the face of all changes.
This was a test of endurance, and clearly, Maoqiu's patience couldn't match Lezhi's. Finding Lezhi remaining motionless in that position, Maoqiu quickly and curiously spread its wings, flapped them twice, and then silently flew down from the high branch, heading straight towards Lezhi.
The fur ball wasn't moving fast and didn't seem to have any intention of attacking Lezhi. Lezhi was also dazed by the fur ball's fluffy appearance, so even though the fur ball was right in front of him in the blink of an eye, Lezhi only subconsciously leaned back before returning to normal.
It wasn't that Lezhi lacked awareness; the fur ball's appearance was simply too overpowering. It was round and plump, with only a pair of wings on its back and one eye on its head. Its entire body was covered in snow-white fur, just like a plush toy. Moreover, only when the fur ball flew right up to Lezhi did Lezhi realize that it wasn't very big, about the size of two hands that could easily hold it.
The fluffy ball, which had been hovering in mid-air for a moment, was also scanning Lezhi's appearance. After looking at him, it seemed quite satisfied. The fluffy ball made a "chirp chirp" sound, as if it was urging Lezhi or telling him something.
Lezhi tried to understand what Maoqiu meant. He observed Maoqiu's wings flapping constantly in mid-air and its body rising and falling. He tentatively bent his arm and raised it, then gestured to Maoqiu.
"Are you tired from flying? Do you need to rest for a bit...?"
Upon discovering Yuezhi's arm, Maoqiu didn't hesitate and immediately landed, finding a suitable spot to fold its wings. Maoqiu gave a satisfied "Chirp~" as if responding to Yuezhi's words.
Confirming that the furball meant her no harm, Lezhi's heart, which had been pounding since regaining consciousness, finally eased a little. She slowly raised her other hand, and under the furball's gaze, reached out and gently rubbed its head.
Seemingly enjoying being rubbed by Lezhi, Maoqiu closed its eyes in contentment.
Lezhi's fingers were like a switch; as soon as they left Maoqiu's body, Maoqiu would open its eyes, but as soon as he put his fingers on Maoqiu's head, Maoqiu would immediately close its eyes.
Even the most expensive electric plush toys he'd ever seen before weren't this much better!
After the man and the bird had become acquainted in this tranquil place, Yuezhi prepared to leave. After all, a conflict had just occurred here, and it was not a place to linger.
Using his elbow to give the furball an upward gesture, Lezhi successfully withdrew his arm. However, the furball clearly had no intention of leaving. Realizing that Lezhi seemed to want to leave, the furball did not stop him but stayed near Lezhi.
Having such an adorable little creature by her side was something Lezhi longed for but could not have, so of course she wouldn't chase it away. In fact, after walking a certain distance, Lezhi would look around to confirm the furball's location before continuing on her way.
The forest was very large and the plants were very lush, so the light was not very good. Lezhi had to carefully observe his footing and surroundings with each step, and only dared to move forward when he was sure there was no danger. Therefore, his exploration speed was very slow.
He chose the opposite direction from where he had just woken up; Lezhi now only wanted to get away from there as quickly as possible. Only after walking quite a distance and noticing slight changes in the surrounding vegetation did Lezhi realize he had gone far enough before he could even think about what to do next.
What he needs most now is food, water, and shelter. He was too nervous when he escaped, and now that his adrenaline has subsided, his stomach is rumbling, and his lips are dry from not having water for a long time.
Looking around, Lezhi chose a relatively flat spot to sit down and prepare to rest for a while.
Seeing Lezhi stop, Maoqiu, who was nearby, flapped its wings and landed. It chose to land next to Lezhi, and after stopping, it moved a few steps until its body was close to Lezhi before stopping.
Noticing the furball's movement, Lezhi felt a warm feeling in her heart. She reached out and ruffled the furball's round head. "Furball, you're so cute. I wish I could take care of you. Unfortunately, I can't even take care of myself right now. Sigh..."
As the main body sighed, its stomach growled in response. Lezhi rubbed its belly, looked around, and tried to find something to fill its stomach.
"I have no choice now. Although I don't recognize the plants here, I can't just starve to death!"
Muttering to himself, Lezhi stared at the fruit of a plant not far away.
Meanwhile, the furry ball, enjoying a massage, was startled awake by the rumbling in Lezhi's stomach. It watched as Lezhi, who had barely sat down, got up again and started picking fruit a short distance away. Making sure Lezhi was still in its sight, the furry ball remained still, quietly watching Lezhi's actions.
Having successfully caught five fruits, Lezhi used his shirt to make a pouch to hold his harvest. He then picked the last fruit from the vine before returning to Maoqiu with his full haul.
Gently wiping the surface of the fruit with his sleeve, Lezhi looked at the creamy yellow round fruit in front of him, hesitated for a moment, and wavered between being poisoned and starving to death.
Before he could finish hesitating, the furry ball that had been watching Lezhi from the side made a move. It snuggled into Lezhi's arms, found a fruit, and pecked it hard. The ripe fruit was pecked open, and the sweet taste immediately had an outlet, dancing under Lezhi's nose.
Startled by the aroma, Lezhi saw Maoqiu happily eating in his arms. Without hesitation, he knew that if the bird could eat it, he could too. Maoqiu had done a great job.
He eagerly took a bite, the sweet taste of the fruit filling his mouth and flowing into his empty stomach as he chewed and swallowed. At that moment, Lezhi felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction.
The taste of this fruit is like coconut milk mango. The first taste is an undeniable sweetness, followed by a rich milky aroma, just like pouring a mouthful of mango sago pudding, it's incredibly delicious.
Except for the one that Maoqiu ate, Lezhi swallowed all the remaining fruits, and only then did his rumbling stomach quiet down. Although he was still hungry, the abundant sugar in the fruits restored some of his strength, and his mind became much clearer.
With the furball as a source of food, Lezhi then focused on finding all sorts of fruits. This forest was strange in its growth pattern. Although the branches were not as thick as before, their shapes were even more bizarre. After observing for a long time, Lezhi finally determined that these branches, whether thick or thin, were all vines, and the fruits growing on each type of vine were different.
After Maoqiu confirmed that Lezhi had collected a lot of fruit, enough to fill its stomach, Lezhi found some. By then, it was getting late, and Lezhi needed to find a place to stay for the night as soon as possible. The most important thing about this place was that it had to be safe.
Even a fool could tell that the forest at night was far more dangerous than the forest during the day, and if he didn't choose a good habitat, he could very well die.
The fluffy ball seemed to know what Lezhi was thinking. After eating its fill of fruit with Lezhi, it chirped and urged Lezhi to follow it.
Sensing the urging in Maoqiu's tone, Lezhi, who had been clueless, suddenly had a flash of inspiration. That's right, birds always return to their nests, so Maoqiu might know a reliable habitat.
Suppressing her excitement, Lezhi quickly got up and followed the fluctuating figure of the fur ball, stumbling and running towards the depths of the forest...
EBE