Comic strip: Survival on a deserted island, surrounded by heroines

There was no sign of panic on her face, not even a blush on her ears; she only wore a gentle smile.

"Aoyama-kun, would you like to stand on my side?"

"The sun is less here, it's not as sunny."

Looking into her clear, watery eyes, Qingshan saw no blame or deliberate avoidance, only a vast and inclusive acceptance, like the sea.

She really is...different.

Qingshan wasn't embarrassed at all, after all, he had a thick skin.

He just smiled and said, "It is a bit sunny."

Then Aoyama naturally walked around to the other side of the cutting board, stood beside her, and reached out to pick up a coconut crab.

"How should we handle this?"

Seeing that he didn't say anything, Xue's mother felt relieved.

She lowered her eyes, a barely perceptible smile playing on her lips.

So, there are things that Aoyama-kun doesn't know?

She reached out and flipped the crab over.

"First, open the crab shell and remove the gills inside..."

As she spoke, Aoyama's gaze inadvertently swept across her profile.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the roof and fell on her skin, which was so fair it was almost transparent, like warm jade that had been repeatedly washed by the sea.

Her neck was long and graceful, with a small patch of skin extending from her collarbone to behind her ear that shimmered with a faint pink hue in the light.

Aoyama withdrew his gaze and began to do as she had instructed.

"Is that so?"

He lifted the crab shell, revealing the snow-white crab meat inside.

Xue Mu came over and took a look; she was so close that Qingshan could smell her scent.

She nodded, her tone approving: "Very well done, even cleaner than I expected."

As she spoke, she reached out and took the crab, her hand inevitably brushing against Qingshan's hand.

It felt soft to the touch, with a slight coolness, like a leaf falling on the water.

Qingshan didn't hide, and she didn't deliberately avoid it; she just treated it as a normal cooperation.

"Aoyama-kun, do you know where the most famous place for coconut crabs is?"

As Xue Mu cracked the crab legs with the back of her knife, she casually asked.

This was the first time he had ever seen this thing, nor had he ever eaten it before.

Qingshan thought for a moment: "More meat?"

"Yeah, it's got a lot of meat."

She chuckled and patiently explained, "But what's even more special is that it eats coconuts all year round, so the crab meat has a natural coconut flavor, making it very delicious without needing many seasonings."

As Xue Mu spoke, she placed the broken crab leg aside, turned to look at him, and smiled slightly.

"So you'll have to try it later, it's unlike any crab you've ever had before."

"Then I'll have to eat more."

"Don't worry, there are three, that's enough for you to eat your fill."

Snow Mother lowered her head and continued to process the crab in her hands, but a faint smile remained on her lips.

Her hands moved smoothly and deftly, her slender fingers flipping through the crab shells.

For a moment, Qingshan was lost in thought.

Chapter 70: Kasumigaoka Utaha: If, I mean if... [Image]

The sun gradually climbed higher, warming the entire bay.

The aroma of coconut crabs already filled the air. The two crabs were wrapped in large leaves and roasted by the fire.

The other one was cut in half and steamed in a makeshift pot.

The snow-white crab meat is covered with a thin layer of coconut oil, which glistens in the sunlight.

Sawu knelt on the flattened leaf and straw mat, holding half a roasted coconut crab leg in her hands. She carefully blew on it and then took a small bite.

"Well!"

Her eyes widened immediately, as if starlight had fallen into her azure pupils, and she swayed slightly from the unexpected deliciousness.

"So delicious! This meat is so sweet, and it even has a coconut flavor!"

As she spoke, she lowered her head and eagerly took a bite, her cheeks puffed out like a little squirrel that had stolen a nut.

Kasumigaoka Utaha sat next to her, holding a cracked crab shell in her hand, carefully picking out the crab meat with a small wooden skewer.

Hearing Sagiri's praise, she turned her head slightly, a satisfied smile in her red eyes.

"I never expected that Madam had such skills."

Aoyama nodded in agreement: "Yes, you can't tell at all."

Yukino didn't look up, but gently pried open the crab's legs with a wooden skewer, her voice calm: "My mother often cooks."

Snow Mother sat on a low wooden post next to the chopping board, holding a coconut shell bowl in her hand, filled with her homemade dipping sauce.

The crushed coconut flakes were mixed with a little roasted onion and a few drops of juice squeezed from sour fruit, creating a perfect balance of salty, sweet, and sour flavors.

She pushed the bowl of dipping sauce to the center of the table: "Here, dip it in this and it will taste even better."

Sawu was the first to reach out, dip a bit of crab meat in it, and put it in her mouth, then let out another satisfied sigh.

"Really! It's delicious..."

Kasumigaoka Utaha also dipped her finger in the sauce, tasted it, and then raised an eyebrow slightly, her gaze showing a hint of surprise.

"Madam, how did you develop such skill?"

"I used to cook occasionally when I was at home, and I gradually learned how to do it."

Snow Mother smiled slightly, without saying much, but took another piece of roasted crab meat, peeled off the shell and put it aside, seemingly to save it.

Aoyama's attention, however, was not entirely focused on the crab meat.

As he took his second bite of crab meat, the virtual panel silently appeared in his field of vision.

[Feeding Log: Adult Coconut Crab x1]

Current progress: 1/10 (Incomplete)

[Selection Scope: Limb Regeneration, Super Strength, Amphibious (Coconut Crab) - Requires continued consumption of similar ingredients to complete activation.]

Aoyama paused for a moment with his chopsticks.

His gaze lingered on the line of text for two seconds, then he glanced at the snow-white, plump crab meat inside the crab shell, and his brow furrowed slightly without him noticing.

"Immense strength?"

"Amphibious?"

"Limb regeneration is also possible... but the shell reinforcement has disappeared?"

He had previously caught thirty mountain crabs, which unlocked the shell enhancement feature.

Judging from the progress at the time, the "grip strength" option was clearly among the available choices for the mountain crab.

But in coconut crabs, grip strength disappears and is replaced by "enormous strength".

Aoyama slowly chewed the crab meat in his mouth, his eyes becoming thoughtful.

He was mentally calculating the possibilities.

"Mountain crabs live in freshwater streams, so they are 'amphibious' and have relatively weak 'grip strength'."

"Coconut crabs are amphibious terrestrial crabs, hence the terms 'amphibious' and 'giant strength'."

"In other words, different subspecies of the same species have different unlocking abilities."

"So eating tiger frogs and eating bullfrogs unlocks different things..."

Thinking of this, he took another bite of crab meat.

The option of "limb regeneration" held an unparalleled appeal for him.

“Super strength also looks stronger than grip strength.”

A strongman with immense strength is definitely much stronger than just grip strength!

"Aoyama-kun?"

"What are you thinking about? Is it not to your liking?"

Snow Mother's voice came from the side, gentle and clear.

Qingshan snapped out of his reverie, shook his head, and met her eyes, which were brimming with concern: "No, it's delicious. I was just thinking about something."

"What are you thinking about so intently?"

Kasumigaoka Utaha rested her chin on the back of her hand, her red pupils carrying a scrutinizing quality.

"Could it be that they're thinking of keeping the shells of these three crabs and building a crab shell roof?"

"Then we'll need to find several hundred more."

Aoyama naturally replied, then picked up a piece of steamed crab meat, dipped it in the snow-white sauce, and put it in his mouth.

The sweet crab meat melts on the tongue, and the refreshing aroma of coconut and sour fruit blend together, truly whetting the appetite.

Sawu sipped her coconut juice slowly beside her, her gaze occasionally drifting towards the direction of the green mountains before quickly looking away, her ears tinged with a faint pink.

It seems there's still a lot to learn.

Is she a good wife...?

She whispered, "Brother Qingshan."

Aoyama looked up: "Hmm?"

"Do you think this dipping sauce is delicious?" After saying this, Sagiri blushed and quickly lowered her head, pretending to drink coconut juice.

"It's delicious! Your cooking is truly excellent."

Aoyama nodded, then glanced at Yuki: "How did you mix the proportions for this dipping sauce?"

Snow Mother was wiping her fingers with a damp cloth when she heard this, and she turned her head slightly, a gentle look in her eyes.

"It's just shredded coconut, sour fruit juice, and a little bit of roasted chopped onion. As for the proportions... I just adjusted them by feel."

"To be able to adjust it like this just by feeling is already quite impressive."

As Qingshan spoke, he picked up another piece of crab meat and dipped it in the sauce: "It's better than what many restaurants make."

When Xue Mu was praised so naturally, her expression didn't change much, but her drooping eyelashes trembled slightly, like tiny ripples on water when the wind blows across the surface.

She picked up the coconut shell bowl, took a sip of warm water, and didn't reply.

But when she looked at Qingshan as he was eating crab, her gaze lingered on his face for a moment before she casually looked away.

"I'm full... my stomach is bloated."

Sawu ate two crab legs, a piece of crab belly meat, and drank a whole coconut juice.

Her lower abdomen was slightly swollen as she leaned against the rock behind her, squinting like a kitten sunbathing.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Madam!"

Kasumigaoka Utaha ate just as much as her, but remained composed. After finishing, she carefully cleaned up the crab shells to avoid attracting mosquitoes.

"As expected of Mother..."

Yukino ate the least, probably because she has a small appetite.

"That feels so good!"

Qingshan ate the most.

He put down the crab shell in his hand, wiped his hands, and then glanced at the progress on the virtual panel.