Inside the tent.
The light-energy grill still retained some residual warmth, emitting a reddish glow that served as a temporary heater.
Having eaten and drunk their fill, drowsiness washed over them like a tide.
"Time to sleep!"
Qin Yu tossed the last fish bone out of the tent and zipped up the entrance.
The world instantly fell silent.
Most of the wind and waves outside were blocked out, leaving only a muffled, white noise-like background sound.
"How should we sleep?"
Yao Xue knelt on the moisture-proof mat, looking somewhat awkward.
Although the tent was designed for four people with considerable space, after placing three sleeping bags, it was just enough room.
"I'll sleep in the middle!"
Yao Qian was the first to raise her hand.
The girl scrambled like a caterpillar, wriggling directly into the middle black sleeping bag.
Only her large, darting eyes remained visible.
"I'm afraid of ghosts, and I'm scared of falling into the sea."
"Sleeping in the middle feels the safest."
"With my sister on one side and Brother Qin Yu on the other, hehe, surrounded by both."
Qin Yu shrugged indifferently.
"Suit yourself."
He crawled directly into the sleeping bag near the tent entrance.
As a leader, sleeping at the outermost position was instinctual.
In case of emergencies, whether it was a shark attack or someone ambushing them, he could rush out immediately.
Yao Xue pursed her lips.
She said nothing.
Silently, she slipped into the innermost sleeping bag.
Three sleeping bags, arranged side by side.
With almost no gaps between them.
"Lights out."
Qin Yu reached out and closed the grill's cover.
The tent was instantly plunged into complete darkness.
Only a few strands of cold moonlight filtered through the transparent skylight at the top.
Silence.
Deathly silence.
Only the sound of three people breathing could be heard.
"Brother Qin Yu..."
Yao Qian's voice emerged in the darkness, faint as a wisp.
"Hmm?"
"Are we going to drift at sea forever?"
"Don't know."
Qin Yu closed his eyes, hands behind his head.
"If we don't want to die, we have to keep drifting."
"Oh..."
Yao Qian turned over.
The sleeping bag rustled with the movement.
"Um... if we really manage to build a big ship later, I want to keep following you."
"You can cook, fish, and fight."
Qin Yu's mouth twitched.
"Shut up."
"Go to sleep."
"Okay."
A few minutes later.
Yao Qian's breathing became long and steady.
The girl was truly carefree and genuinely exhausted—she fell asleep as soon as she decided to, and soon even began to snore lightly.
But the other two couldn't fall asleep no matter what.
The atmosphere was strange.
Really strange.
Although separated by a layer of sleeping bag and with Yao Qian in between, that peculiar hormonal tension lingered, refusing to dissipate in the enclosed, cramped space.
Qin Yu was a young man in his prime.
Yao Xue was a fully mature, exquisite older sister.
Though neither spoke, their senses were infinitely heightened.
"Mmm..."
The sleeping Yao Qian suddenly murmured.
The girl was extremely restless in her sleep.
Feeling hot, she kicked open the zipper of her sleeping bag.
One bare leg (wearing White Silk Stockings, though the edges had rolled up from friction) directly crossed the midline.
Of all the unlucky timing.
It landed directly on Qin Yu's stomach.
Qin Yu's entire body stiffened.
This leg was soft, smooth, and carried the unique body warmth of a young woman.
He reached out to move the leg away.
Just as his hand made contact.
In the darkness, another hand reached over as well.
It was Yao Xue.
Being a doctor, she was a light sleeper. Hearing her sister's movements, she wanted to help cover her with the blanket.
Two hands.
Met on Yao Qian's thigh.
Qin Yu's fingers brushed against the back of Yao Xue's hand.
Cold, delicate.
Like an electric shock.
Both simultaneously withdrew their hands.
The air seemed to freeze in that moment.
It was a heart-pounding sensation tinged with taboo.
"Sorry."
Yao Xue's voice was very low, carrying a hint of hoarseness that sounded particularly alluring.
"I'll cover her properly."
"Mm."
Qin Yu responded briefly.
In the darkness, there came a rustling sound.
Yao Xue struggled to move her sister's leg back and re-zipped the sleeping bag.
After completing this, she seemed to let out a sigh of relief.
But after this commotion, the ambiguous atmosphere didn't dissipate - instead, it grew thicker.
Qin Yu could even smell Yao Xue's faint scent, a mixture of sea breeze and sweat.
It wasn't unpleasant.
Rather, it carried a primitive allure.
"Qin Yu."
Yao Xue suddenly spoke, her voice very soft, as if afraid of waking her sister between them.
"You said before that I'm a smart person."
"Mm."
"Smart people know how to invest."
Yao Xue turned over, facing Qin Yu's direction.
Though he couldn't see her face clearly, Qin Yu could feel those cool eyes fixed on him.
"As long as it can keep Qianqian alive."
"Whether it's me, my medical skills, or even..."
She paused.
"Myself."
"Are all your bargaining chips."
This was a statement of position.
Also a kind of veiled... declaration of devotion.
In this world where order has collapsed, this was the most straightforward transaction for a woman wanting to attach herself to a strong man.
Qin Yu remained silent for a few seconds.
He opened his eyes in the darkness.
His gaze was clear, without any trace of being clouded by desire.
"Let's sleep, Doctor Yao."
"I have no interest in corpses."
"Come talk to me about these things when you're no longer trembling just to survive."
Yao Xue was taken aback.
Then, an extremely soft laugh came through the darkness.
Like self-mockery, yet also like relief.
"Good night, Qin Yu."
"Good night."
That night.
Qin Yu slept very lightly.
The two women beside him slept deeply, especially Yao Qian, who later almost rolled completely onto Qin Yu.
That warm, soft sensation tormented Qin Yu all night.
But he didn't move.
Nor did he do anything beastly.
It wasn't that he couldn't.
But he knew that this was only the beginning.
In this man-eating sea, keeping a clear head was more important than indulging desires.
...
The next day.
The sun rose as usual, scorching hot as if trying to boil the sea dry.
Qin Yu woke very early.
He carefully peeled Yao Qian off himself.
This girl's sleeping posture was truly unrestrained.
One leg pressed on him, one hand still clutching the corner of his clothes, drool from the corner of her mouth soaking a corner of the sleeping bag.
Qin Yu crawled out of the tent.
Took a deep breath of the salty sea air.
Refreshed and clear-headed.
"Hoo—"
He stretched his limbs, joints cracking loudly.
"System."
"Check in."
Qin Yu stood at the edge of the raft, silently calling out in his mind.
"Ding!"
"A new day begins. The Daily Lottery System has reset."
"Begin today's lottery?"
"Begin."
The familiar virtual wheel appeared once more.
The golden pointer spun wildly.
Qin Yu's gaze was fixed intently on the wheel.
The past two days had been incredibly lucky—either SSS or S grades, with A being the worst.
What would it be today?
A weapon?
A defensive tower?
Or some kind of overpowered skill book?
The pointer began to slow.
It swept past the golden legendary zone... and didn't stop.
It swept past the red epic zone... and moved on.
It swept past the purple rare zone... and kept going.
Qin Yu's heart sank.
Finally.
The pointer wobbled unsteadily and came to a stop on a completely unremarkable blue slot.
"Ding!"
"Congratulations, host. You have obtained C-grade item: [Extra Large Capacity Water Storage Barrel (100L)] x 5."
With a flash of light.
Five blue plastic barrels, each half a person's height, materialized out of thin air on the raft.
They occupied a large section of the previously spacious deck.
Qin Yu stared at these five large barrels.
The corner of his mouth twitched.
"Water barrels?"
"I was all ready for something amazing, and this is what you give me?"The drop was just too great."
From S-grade divine artifacts directly down to C-grade daily necessities.
Exactly the kind of large blue industrial barrels you could find anywhere in a hardware store.
Aside from being large, they had no special attributes whatsoever.
They couldn't automatically produce water, nor could they provide any buffs.
"Sigh..."
Qin Yu let out a sigh.
Oh well.
The law of conservation of luck.
You can't have feasts every single day.
But still...
Qin Yu walked over and patted the thick plastic wall of a barrel.
It made a dull thump thump sound.
Although they weren't divine artifacts, these things... seemed to be exactly what he urgently needed right now.
That S-grade water purifier produced 5 liters of water per hour.
That meant 120 liters in 24 hours!
The previous fish skin bag had long been unable to hold it all.
For the past couple of days, with nowhere to store the produced water, he'd even had to shut down the purifier, wasting a lot of production capacity.
Now with these five big guys.
500 liters of capacity!
Enough to let the water purifier run at full capacity for two whole days.
"Not completely unlucky after all."
Qin Yu comforted himself.
Just then.
The tent's zipper was pulled open.
Yao Xue emerged, her long hair a messy tangle.
Without her glasses, her gaze was somewhat unfocused.
That lazy beauty about her was quite striking.
"Morning..."
She yawned and stretched.
Her lovely curves were clearly outlined beneath her snug white lab coat.
Right after, Yao Qian crawled out as well.
This girl was even less concerned with her appearance, rubbing her eyes while mumbling something about "grilled fish."
When they saw the five blue behemoths that had appeared on the deck, they both froze.
"Wh-what are these?"
Yao Qian ran over and circled around the large barrels.
"Such huge barrels!"
"Qin Yu, did you fish these up too?"
Qin Yu nodded, not explaining the system's existence.
"Just got them."
"Perfect timing."
Qin Yu pointed at the five barrels.
"From now on, all the water from the S-grade water purifier will be stored in these."
"Not a single drop of this buffed water can be wasted."
Yao Xue walked over, pushing up glasses she'd somehow put on, her rationality restored.
"500 liters of capacity."
"If filled completely, that would represent enormous wealth."
"And these barrels seem to have good sealing—they should allow for long-term storage."
Qin Yu unscrewed the lid of a large barrel.
The interior was spotlessly clean, still carrying the fresh scent of plastic.
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.
He turned to look at the two sisters.
His gaze held a playful glint.
"You know,"
"we've been drifting at sea for three days now."
Yao Qian and Yao Xue grew uneasy under his stare.
Subconsciously, they sniffed their own clothes.
Their expressions immediately turned grim.
Though the sea breeze helped, three days without bathing had left them feeling sticky all over.
Sweat, salt particles from seawater, the fishy odor from handling fish...
All mixed together.
The resulting smell was truly... pungent.
For hygiene-conscious women like them, this was worse than death.
"Qin Yu..."
Yao Qian clutched her collar, her face bitter.
"Don't remind me. I feel like I'm starting to ferment."
"But what can we do?"
"Fresh water is so precious. We can't possibly use bottled water for bathing, right?"
"That would be a sin worthy of lightning strike!"
Qin Yu laughed.
A brilliant, radiant laugh.
He patted the large blue barrel.
"Who says we can't?"
"Huh?"
Yao Qian and Yao Xue widened their eyes simultaneously.
"You... you mean..."
Yao Xue's voice trembled.
"Bathing?"
Qin Yu nodded.
"We have a Water Purifier."
"We have unlimited energy (solar power)."
"And now, we have a bathtub."
He pointed at the light-energy grill.
"That rack comes with a small cooking pot that can heat water."
"Though it's slow, with multiple batches mixed with cold water..."
"Filling this barrel halfway with warm water is completely feasible."
"Gulp..."
Yao Qian swallowed hard.
Her eyes shone with unprecedented brilliance.
A bath!
A hot bath!
In this post-apocalyptic ocean!
What kind of heavenly luxury was this?!
"Really... is it possible?"
Yao Xue also found it hard to believe.
"But that's S-grade water."
"The potion that restores physical strength."
"Using it for bathing... wouldn't that be too extravagant?"
This was a clash of perspectives.
While others were killing for a mouthful of water,
Qin Yu was suggesting bathing with divine water?
"Extravagant?"
Qin Yu sneered.
"Water only becomes a resource when used on people."
"Hoarding it unused makes it stagnant water."
"Besides, S-grade water has fatigue-recovery and nerve-soothing properties."
"A good soak can restore you both to peak condition."
"I need you two to face challenges clean, fresh, and fully energized."
"Not reeking of sweat, potentially overwhelming yourselves before any fight begins."
Qin Yu's reasoning was impeccable.
"I'll bathe! I'll bathe! I want to bathe!"
Yao Qian went wild.
She jumped up immediately, clinging to the large blue barrel.
"Don't anyone try to stop me!"
"I'm going to scrub my skin off!"
Qin Yu kicked her rear.
"Go."
"Fetch water."
"If you want to bathe, work for it."
"Pump water from the Water Purifier into the barrel."
"Yao Xue, you're in charge of heating water."
"Aye aye, sir!"
At that moment,
Yao Qian displayed combat prowess surpassing even when facing zombies.
Carrying the previous Fish Skin Bag, she rushed back and forth between the Water Purifier and the large barrel.
That was S-grade water!
Clear, sweet, with faint energy fluctuations.
Being poured bag after bag into that large blue chemical barrel.
Yao Xue stayed by the grill,
Boiling water in the small pot and carefully mixing it into the barrel.
An hour later.
The first barrel was now filled with about a quarter of its capacity with water.
Approximately 40 liters.
The water was slightly warm, emitting faint white steam.
It was enough for one person to crouch inside and bathe.
"Who's going first?"
Qin Yu looked at the two women who were staring eagerly.
"Sister... let Sister go first."
Although Yao Qian was practically drooling with desire, she conscientiously yielded.
"Sister has been the most exhausted these past few days, and she even had to perform surgery on the fish..."
Yao Xue didn't refuse.
She had truly reached her limit.
Her white coat was almost stiff with grime.
"Then... should I go into the tent to change?"
Yao Xue hesitated, glancing at the large barrel.
The barrel was too tall; bathing outside was definitely not an option.
"Move the barrel into the tent," Qin Yu directed.
"Zip it up."
"You bathe inside; I'll stand guard outside."
"Don't worry, I won't peek."
Yao Xue's face flushed.
Even though Qin Yu said he wouldn't look, the thought that only a layer of canvas separated her from the man outside...
That sense of shame grew even more intense.
The three of them worked together to move the water-filled barrel into the tent.
Qin Yu stepped out.
Zipped the tent shut completely.
Then, like a door god, he sat cross-legged at the tent entrance, his back to the door.
Holding a fishing rod, he continued fishing.
From inside the tent came the rustling sounds of clothes being removed.
The friction of fabric.
The sound of a zipper being pulled down.
The sound of buttons being undone.
In the silence over the sea, it was unbearably clear.
Qin Yu took a deep breath, forcing himself to focus on the fishing float on the water's surface.
"Calm your mind... calm your mind..."
"Form is emptiness..."
Then.
The sound of water began.
"Splash..."
That was the sound of a body entering the water.
Followed by an uncontrollable, deeply satisfied sigh.
"Ah..."
It was Yao Xue's voice.
At that moment.
She felt as if she had returned to civilized society.
The warm water enveloped every inch of her skin.
The unique energy of S-grade water seeped into her body through her pores.
All the fatigue, soreness, and fear of the past few days dissolved in the warm water.
She picked up a piece of gauze she had found in the medical kit, dipped it in the water, and gently wiped her neck, collarbone, arms...
Her black stockings were set aside.
Her long, slender legs were finally freed from their confinement.
Inside the tent, steam misted the air.
...
Outside the tent.
Listening to the sound of water inside, Qin Yu felt his throat go dry.
He picked up a bottle of ordinary mineral water and took a large gulp.
"This isn't just bathing."
"This is a test of a man's willpower."
To distract himself, he opened the [Regional Chat Channel].
The channel was filled with cries of despair.
"Water! Who has water! I'm dying of thirst!"
"Why hasn't that profiteer listed any water today?"
"My lips are cracked; I can't
even produce urine to drink anymore..."
"Please, someone sell me a bottle of water! I'll trade my wife for it!"
Looking at these messages and listening to the alluring sound of water from the tent behind him, Qin Yu curled his lips into a mocking smile.
You're drinking urine.
We're bathing in S-grade divine water.
That's the difference.
That's the cruelty of the apocalypse.
Half an hour later.
The tent's zipper was pulled open a crack.
A wave of warm air, carrying the scent of soap (though there was no soap—it was a mix of body fragrance and the S-grade water's aroma), wafted out.
Yao Xue peeked out.
Her face was flushed, like a ripe apple.
Her hair was damp and draped over her shoulders.
The weariness vanished completely, as if he was glowing from within.
His eyes shimmered with shifting lights.
"Qin Yu..."
"The water isn't dirty yet..."
"Would you like... to continue bathing?"
As these words fell,
Qin Yu nearly dropped his fishing rod into the sea.
Bathing together?
No, taking turns bathing?
This... who could withstand such a thing?