Culinary God in Wilderness

Chapter 283: Chapter 194: Exploring the Rocky Shore at Night

Listening to the violent THUMP-THUMP of his own heart, Lin Chen felt as if the image of that pale, shimmering back was still seared into his vision.

Since he was just washing his hair, he hadn’t worn his Hat Lamp. He’d only set it on the bank for light. He never expected the woman to suddenly strip off her clothes and start bathing.

He still had a camera hanging from his chest, for crying out loud. If he accidentally filmed something he shouldn’t, he’d be in serious trouble.

"Huh? I didn’t mention it?"

Erica tilted her head, her hands continuously working soap into her hair. Hearing him, she glanced back and giggled.

"I must have forgotten. I really thought I told you. I couldn’t help it—I haven’t bathed in eight days. I saw the soapberries and just couldn’t resist. Don’t you dare turn around and peek!"

’Damn it, you were about to strip naked without a word, and *now* you remember there’s a man here? Are you just that dense, or do you not even see me as a man?’

Sure, the culture in North America is pretty open and liberal, but this wasn’t a beach. Under normal circumstances, nobody would strip naked to bathe in front of a member of the opposite sex they’d only known for a day.

He really couldn’t figure out what on earth was going on inside this woman’s head.

"Take your time. I’m heading back first."

With that, he started walking toward the bank.

"No!!!"

Erica quickly called out to him. "Don’t go! I’ll be done in a minute. The forest is a little scary at night. What if a Jaguar or an American Crocodile shows up?"

"I only dared to wash because you’re here! Please, just wait for me, okay?"

Lin Chen’s raised foot froze in midair. He silently lowered it, walked over to a rock on the bank, and sat down, his back still turned to her.

"Don’t you have fifteen years of experience surviving in the North American Forest? Why would you be scared of bathing in the woods at night?"

Logically, the forests in North America have wolves and bears. They should be even more dangerous.

"I spent all those fifteen years with my daddy."

Seeing that he hadn’t left, but was standing guard on the bank like a soldier, Erica’s heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled. She relaxed and continued her bath.

"Whenever I bathed in a creek or a small river, Daddy would stand guard nearby. I guess I just got used to that feeling."

"Come on, I’m not old enough to be your dad, am I?"

"Hehe, that’s not what I meant. I mean, you have this reliable air about you, just like my dad. Even though you can be a bit harsh with your words, your actions reveal that you actually have a soft, kind heart."

"Maybe that’s why I became your fan. I always felt something familiar about you. I couldn’t put my finger on it before, but now I see it’s because you’re like my daddy."

’Wait, I just came here to wash my hair. How did I suddenly get promoted to the dad-zone?’

Lin Chen made idle small talk with her, doing his best to keep the atmosphere from falling silent.

He couldn’t help it. Twenty-five was the prime of a man’s life. Even if his rational mind could keep him in check, hearing the SPLASHING sounds behind him, that stunning, fleeting glimpse of her back would flash through his mind, and his imagination would start to run wild.

’And he had to share a shelter with this girl tonight. He absolutely could not let things get weird.’

"By the way, have you thought about how you want to upgrade the cave shelter?"

"I think it’s fine as it is. We don’t have to do anything. At most, we could lay down a bamboo floor and put up a few support pillars to prevent a collapse, and that should be enough, right?"

"You’re just trying to get out of work. Based on last season’s results, the shelter is also part of the final scoring criteria."

"So what? Didn’t I tell you I’m not interested in winning? I’m just here on vacation, and to do a little fangirling~"

’A... a vacation?’

’I’ll give you that.’

’Thinking about it, if that was the case, then her behavior started to make sense.’

’Since she was on vacation, naturally she’d do whatever was easiest and most comfortable. Why would she do any work? Could you even call it a vacation if you had to work?’

’No wonder I failed to entice her into expanding the cave even with the promise of food. The problem was a lack of motivation.’

’In other words, only finding supplies, hunting, and making food held any appeal for her. Everything else was a bore.’

’It must be nice to be rich. Using a wilderness survival show as a vacation...’

’Compared to her, the rest of us contestants, desperately trying to survive with all our might, were living such exhausting lives.’

’Well, being born into the right family is a skill in itself. No point in being envious.’

Besides, she did say her relationship with her mother wasn’t good. She barely saw her all year. The total time they’d spent together since she was a child was probably less than what a normal person gets in a single year.

’From that perspective, she was actually quite pitiful.’

A mother’s love is an indispensable part of a child’s development, something that money can never replace.

The fact that her mother sent her so much money every year suggested she must feel guilty toward her daughter. She probably wanted to make up for it but didn’t know how, so she just threw money at the problem.

’If I could get her to help...’

’No, no, what am I thinking?’

This wasn’t the first time the thought had popped into his head. Lin Chen was startled and quickly banished it from his mind.

Just as his mind began to wander, he felt a light tap on his shoulder from behind.

A white figure flashed in his peripheral vision, then suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Ha!"

Seeing him just staring blankly at her, Erica pouted. "No fun, no fun at all! You’re not even scared. Are you made of wood or something?"

She had finished washing at some point and was still wearing the same form-fitting white tank top. Damp with water, it clung tightly to her skin, revealing the fine curves of her youthful figure.