Female Novel
Chapter 1075
He squatted down in front of Maja, "Maja, I'll carry you."
Maja's ankle had swollen up, and she obviously couldn't walk for a while.
Ian handed off their packs to Ryan and Tyler and squatted down in front of her.
Being carried by her own boyfriend didn't seem to bother Maja at all, so she promptly draped herself
over his back, her arms circling his neck.
Ian was tall, and lifting her didn't seem to strain him at all. He even gave her a slight bounce, his
eyebrows furrowing.
"Have you lost weight again?"
After this comment, he continued onward without any apparent difficulty.
Judith watched the couple from behind, her eyes brimming with tears.
She instinctively clung to Dylan's arm, a soft sob escaping her lips.
Her distressed state was almost too much for Dylan to bear.
"Stop crying."
"Big brother, am I really that annoying?"
Dylan didn't know how to respond to that. Damn Ian!
"Don't worry, sweetheart. Once this hike is over, I'll have a word with him."
Judith had been playing a role, acting since last night, all to make Dylan stand with her. Otherwise,
Dylan, just like Beck, would not allow her to chase after a man who already had a girlfriend. It was
simply not proper.
But now things were different, and she had placed herself in the role of a victim, a woman who could
disregard her dignity for love, which would naturally draw sympathy.
A malicious glint appeared in her eyes as she watched Maja.
Furthermore, Wind was going to act tonight. She refused to believe that this wench could escape
unscathed!
Maja could feel the gaze on her back, but she didn't care. She was enjoying the stroll in the woods with
Ian, and the air was fresh, she was in a good mood.
The trail was a bit rough, but Ian was familiar with it and moved quickly, even with Maja on his back.
They were soon leaving the others behind.
Judith was lagging behind, complaining of feeling unwell.
Dylan wanted to carry her, but her gaze was fixed on Ian in the distance. It was clear she wanted him
instead.
However, Ian was moving too fast, and in the blink of an eye, he had left them behind with Maja.
Finally free of Judith's gaze, Maja could finally enjoy the hike.
"What's this?"
A cluster of mushrooms had sprouted near Ian's feet.
He just wanted to strike up a conversation with Maja, but she actually recognized them.
"That's milk cap, and it's edible. We can use it for soup later when we camp. It's very fresh, definitely
better than last night's seafood."
"Alright, let's do that."
He bent down and picked up the mushroom.
"Ian, this one is bolete, and that's wild black fungus. We can pick some of these too."
She directed him from his back, and he let her lead the way, wandering around the woods.
After another couple of hours, he set her down on a clean rock.
A bag next to them was filled with the mushrooms they had gathered along the way.
"When I was a kid, I loved going to the mountains to pick mushrooms. Once, a stick bug crawled onnovelbin
me, and I was so scared I cried. Occasionally, I'd step on a centipede. My mom would pick me up and
carry me away. I was skinny then, but it still took some effort to carry me while also carrying a basket."
After finishing her story, Maja checked the mushrooms in the bag again to ensure all were edible before
resuming her place on his back.
"Let's go, Ian."
Ian had only broken a slight sweat from carrying her all this way.
"So you knew about all these mushrooms since you were a kid?"
"Yeah, they make great soup, much fresher than the ones sold in the city."
Their gentle conversation, accompanied by the chirping of birds and cicadas, created a beautiful
atmosphere.
"Maja, there was something wrong with the drink I had last night."
After hearing many stories about Maja's childhood, Ian finally confessed.
"I was dizzy and mistook her for you, but even if you didn't open the door, I wouldn't have kissed her."
Maja's hands were around his neck. From this angle, she could see his side profile.
"Hmm."
They stopped to eat something halfway, and then saw a white figure dashing past; it was Rocky.
In this dense forest, Rocky was like a fish in water.
Maja and Ian drank some water and continued their journey.
After almost three hours, they finally reached the campsite for the night.
The others who arrived earlier saw Ian carrying Maja and felt a surge of annoyance.
Especially the women, none of them had this kind of treatment. They had all refused to let the men
carry them, priding themselves on their strength. Yet Maja had been carried all the way.
She was from a humble background, and she didn't deserve this treatment at all.