Chapter 12: Seven Days, Six Nights Journey (2)

Youssef assisted Henry with the hand sanitizer. Mervyn, silent and unspoken, turned and walked away.

After a short rest, the group continued on their way. If they did not accelerate their pace, they feared they would spend another one or two days wandering in the forest. Henry still led the way, continuously checking the compass to prevent them from losing their direction.

The deeper they went into the forest, the weaker the signal became, eventually disappearing completely. They all had to rely solely on their own survival skills.

Layla did not know whether this journey of hers would end in success or failure. She carefully tucked the old necklace left by her mother into her collar, then quickly merged with the group into the dark forest.

Boom... boom...

A series of loud thunder continued to resound across the vast sky. Henry glanced up, stopping his steps entirely.

"If I remember correctly, about seven meters ahead, there should be a small cave. We can go in there to avoid the rain and rest for the night."

Henry could remember this clearly because, as a child, he had visited that cave once during a trip with his parents. The landmark for the cave's entrance was a small stream that crossed the path, right in front of them.

And there in front of them was the stream that had left a significant impression on Henry.

As soon as they saw the cool stream, everyone rushed to dip their faces into the water to drink. Everyone's face was filled with happiness and relief after a long exhausting day, except for Henry and Layla, who stood quietly beside each other, not saying anything else.

"I'm waiting!"

Henry suddenly spoke up.

Layla tilted her head to look at him, curiously asking:

"What are you waiting for?"

Henry smiled lightly, then lowered his head, using his deep, penetrating gaze to look deeply into Layla's clear eyes.

"Is this platinum blonde hair natural?"

He did not answer her question but shifted to another subject. This wasn't the first time Henry had seen girls with dyed hair. However, there was something very special about Layla's hair color, captivating Henry's attention.

Seeing his interest in her hair color, Layla beamed a smile:

"Yes! I am a foreigner. My hair color comes from my mother's genes!"

Mervyn was washing his face, seeing the two above laughing and talking happily, he felt increasingly uncomfortable. He rinsed off the water and took long strides towards Layla, forcing a smile and asked:

"Are you two having a fun conversation?"

Henry didn't respond but stretched his arms and then walked towards the group led by Youssef.

Following Henry's guidance, they soon reached their destination. The cave, through the years, remained the same, only difference being the moist moss that now covered the entrance.

It had also started to pour heavily outside. The weather in the Mountainview forest was extremely harsh. As the rain poured, the cold began to encircle them. Henry chose a dry spot for himself, then spread out a towel and slept soundly.

Inside the cave, which was relatively quiet and safe from wild animals, the other six quickly found their spots and fell deep into sleep.

In the middle of the night, as Henry was sound asleep, he was suddenly awakened by loud noises outside. The continuous rustling sound next to him made Henry extremely uncomfortable.

He abruptly opened his eyes and saw a large figure sitting upright at his feet, staring intently at him.

Henry sat up and reflexively reached under the cloth to grab the hidden self-defense knife.

"Shh! I have something private to talk to you about!"

It turned out to be Mervyn. He signaled Henry to follow him outside, saying there was something important to discuss. Only then did Henry notice, Layla had spread a towel next to him, lying with her back to him, sleeping soundly.

"Troublesome!"

Henry swore under his breath, but still got up and followed Mervyn to see what he was up to.

Layla moved slightly, and coincidentally, the thin blanket on her was kicked off. The dense cold air enveloped the entire cave, and even the physically strong Henry shivered. He stepped away from Layla about seven steps, but then his conscience pricked him, and he reluctantly returned to Layla's sleeping spot, then pulled the blanket back over her.

When Henry arrived, Mervyn was already waiting for him. Mervyn's tall but solitary figure made Henry involuntarily think, wanting to look at Mervyn longer.

"Arrived already, huh?"

Mervyn didn't turn around, just asked idly. Henry leaned against a nearby large tree, tilting his head in question:

"Do we, two men, have something to talk about?"

Hearing this, Mervyn just laughed. His eyes suddenly became sharp, a bit sinister swirling in their depths.

"I just want to ask, do you like Layla?"

Cough!

Henry choked. He thought Mervyn had called him out to discuss the main issues for this trip. But it turned out he thought Henry had feelings for Layla.

"What do you mean?"

Mervyn urgently probed, forcing Henry to answer immediately. Seeing the ridiculous look on his face, Henry suddenly decided to tease. He chuckled softly, then happily replied:

"What if it's true, and what if it's not?"

Mervyn's dark face instantly turned pale. Could it be? Was everything Mervyn speculated actually true?

Blinded by jealousy, Mervyn's heart boiled with rage. Yet, he took a deep breath, striving to suppress it as much as possible. Mervyn extended his hand, lightly patting Henry's firm shoulder, and articulated every word clearly:

"I'm telling you, Young Master Washington! From childhood, Layla and I were betrothed by our master. Yes! We are childhood sweethearts. Do you understand?"

Henry's eyebrows relaxed, he briskly brushed off the hand on his shoulder, and tilted his head to retort:

"So what? What's your point in telling me this?"

At this moment, Mervyn's patience completely shattered. He stamped his foot hard, cursing out loud:

"Damn it, are you deaf? I said, Layla and I are engaged. You're forbidden from harboring any filthy thoughts about her!!!"

Haaa...

Henry doubled over in laughter. He pulled Mervyn's flushed face close to his own, gently blowing into his ear:

"You might want to ask your fiancée, how numb she felt when I kissed her the night before last! Oh, I forgot to mention. Mervyn, it was Layla who climbed on top of me, all for today's trip!"

With those words, Henry smirked and walked away, leaving Mervyn pale and stunned. Henry's words made him disbelieve, to secure this trip, could Layla really have sacrificed her own body?

That night, Mervyn couldn't sleep at all, furious and wishing he could teach Henry a lesson he'd never forget.

As for Henry, upon returning to his place, he lay on his side, face to face with Layla. She was deep in sleep, her breaths gentle, her face in sleep pure and entirely different from her usual cold and slightly rebellious nature.

If only... Henry had no interest in romance. Certainly!