Chapter 468 - 331: Misunderstanding
Palm-sized snowflakes poured down from the sky, seemingly without end.
The entire world was shrouded in a curtain of white. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but white, making it impossible to get one’s bearings.
To ensure their safety, Feng Shan decided they should find a place to rest for a while and wait for the snowstorm to pass before continuing their journey.
Before long, they found an Arctic Willow Forest.
Feng Shan and Nash picked out a sturdy Arctic Willow. They parked their snowmobiles on either side of it, then retrieved a waterproof tarp from their sled. After snapping off a few willow branches to use as poles, they erected a makeshift tent.
Nash gathered some dry willow branches, lit a stove inside the tent, and put some snow in a pot to melt.
As the flames in the stove slowly grew, warmth began to spread throughout the small space, and Feng Shan finally felt a bit of heat return to him.
He eagerly pulled off his boots and socks and placed them by the fire to dry.
The tent was soon filled with the thick stench of sweaty feet, but compared to the bitter cold of over forty degrees below zero outside, the tent felt like paradise.
The narrow tent was already packed to the brim with two grown men and a parrot cage.
Tu’Er stretched its neck, trying to squeeze into the tent, but Feng Shan heartlessly kicked it back out.
"Scram. Go find Tyson. There’s no room in here."
SQUAWK!
Tu’Er tumbled headfirst into the snow. After a struggle, it got back up and let out two indignant squawks at the tent.
Then, it waddled over to the Tiger Pack, wiggling its behind, and forcefully squeezed into a gap between the tigers.
Tyson, hearing the commotion, glanced up at Tu’Er. The tiger silently shifted its body to make a little room for the bird to come in and get warm.
Inside the tent, Feng Shan took the pot of melted snow water from Nash. He took a small sip. The hot water trickled down his throat, and an indescribable feeling of comfort instantly spread through his entire body.
He let out a contented sigh, then pulled a satellite phone from his pocket to check how far they still were from the Crown Territory.
The screen lit up. The data showed they were still over 150 kilometers away in a straight line.
Feng Shan glanced at the time. It was 10:00 AM. At their normal pace, and assuming no further incidents, they should be able to reach the camp around 5:00 PM.
He put the satellite phone away and sat back down by the stove.
The willow branches crackled in the fire, the sound like a lonely little melody.
A quiet atmosphere filled the tent, lulling them into contemplation.
After some time, Nash broke the silence.
"Khilla, the snow’s stopped!"
Feng Shan snapped out of his thoughts and instinctively pulled open the tent flap.
Instantly, a bone-chilling cold struck his face like a sharp blade.
He looked up. The night sky outside was now dotted with stars. The air was so clear the sky looked like a deep blue gem, its beauty breathtaking.
"Let’s get moving!"
The two men moved quickly, extinguishing the stove and packing up the waterproof tarp.
Once everything was ready, they mounted their snowmobiles again and, with the Tiger Pack in tow, set off on the final leg of their journey home.
「Around 6:00 PM.」
Jenny was taking a leisurely stroll through the camp with Xiaohua.
Suddenly, her phone buzzed with a text message.
Jenny hurriedly opened it. A single line of text met her eyes.
"Reached Gem Lake. Coming home now."
Upon seeing the message, the worry Jenny had been hiding in her eyes melted away like ice. A relieved smile spread across her face.
"Ms. Zhan, who was that text from? You’re beaming." Xiaohua, ever sharp-eyed, noticed the change in her friend and sidled closer with a grin.
Jenny reached out and poked Xiaohua’s forehead, her voice filled with delight. "Your Brother Shan is back. He just sent a message saying he’s at Gem Lake."
What?!
Brother Shan is back!
Xiaohua froze in surprise for a moment, but then her face lit up with excitement. She quickly pulled out her phone and sent a voice message.
"Hu Zi! Black Hide! Stop your target practice! Brother Shan’s almost back!"
"Got it. I’m on my way."
Afterwards, Jenny and Xiaohua went to the wooden bridge. They chatted, filled with anticipation, as they waited for Feng Shan to appear.
Meanwhile, word of Feng Shan’s imminent return spread through the camp to the staff and guests.
Like children drawn to a spectacle, everyone started to gather, wanting to be there to welcome Feng Shan the moment he arrived.
Before long, the banks on both sides of the wooden bridge were crowded with people.
In unison, everyone craned their necks, their gazes fixed in the direction of the Melting Ice River.
At that moment, Feng Shan had already crossed the mouth of the Melting Ice River and reached the edge of the Tundra.
In just a few more minutes, he would be back at the home he had longed for.
Feng Shan raised a hand, signaling for Nash to stop. Then, they both dismounted.
He carefully brushed the snow off his clothes and straightened his slightly disheveled attire, determined to look presentable when he walked through the door.
’After all, if I go back looking like a complete wreck, the women at home will never agree to let me go out to the Tundra again.’
As soon as they entered the Tundra, the temperature seemed to rise instantly. At ten degrees below zero, it was still within the parrots’ range of tolerance.
Feng Shan reached out to open the parrot cage, thinking that for this last short stretch, he should just let the parrots fly freely.
Feng Shan opened the cage, leaving the last part of the journey for the parrots to fly on their own.
As for the pack of tigers, they would of course follow majestically at his sides.
Feng Shan looked around at the Tiger Pack and the parrots, then called out, "Ready to go home?"