They wasted an excellent opportunity, but Ren Yuanhao could immediately create an even more wonderful—opportunity for them.
Ren Yuanhao's mind was clear, filled with the mountains and rivers of his hometown. His eyes seemed to be looking at the two women illuminated by the light, but they were unfocused.
As the two women gradually relaxed, Ren Yuanhao had already walked up to Yang Lingxue. His eyes, shining with light, met hers directly, without any evasion. At this moment, she was instantly reminded of Ren Yuanhao playing the piano with such flair and carefree spirit in her home that day, and Ren Yuanhao who had blocked that knife for her.
Her face suddenly turned flushed. Ren Yuanhao drew closer and closer, his breath tickling her delicate, flawless cheeks. Before she could resist, Ren Yuanhao's lips had already pressed against hers!
Yang Lingxue wanted to resist, and Shen Lan Ni's expression changed. She covered her eyes and roared like a shrew, "Beast! What time is it? You, you actually—take advantage of someone's distress!"
But when Shen Lan Ni looked up again, peeking through her fingers, she saw that the two had already safely escaped the danger.
"Slap!"
Even so, Yang Lingxue, filled with shame and anger, still slapped Ren Yuanhao's face. Her face was as red as a ripe tomato.
"Slap!"
"Still looking! You, you only know how to bully people!"
Yang Lingxue, overcome with shame and anger, covered her face and hid in the dark corner where the light did not reach.
Ren Yuanhao smiled helplessly, then looked at the stunned Shen Lan Ni, thinking that he had taken two slaps and profited either way. With this thought, he walked towards Shen Lan Ni without hesitation.
At this moment, Shen Lan Ni's heart had already begun to pound. As a golden-aged single woman who still had her first kiss, it was evident what a reserved and conservative woman she was. Of course, this might have something to do with her profession, but regardless, she was still a woman.
Something like this—even though Ren Yuanhao's intention was to save her, she would likely give him a good beating!
She had already made up her mind. However, when Ren Yuanhao leaned in, her reaction was exactly the same as Yang Lingxue's!
However, Ren Yuanhao was like a blockhead. In just a few moments, he had safely brought Shen Lan Ni to a safe area.
"You, you~ Men are all unfeeling pigs!" Yang Lingxue had completely forgotten her current predicament, a surge of unparalleled jealousy rushing to her head.
Slap!
Shen Lan Ni's face flushed. Seeing that Ren Yuanhao was still staring at her, she slapped him again.
"Hey, hey, hey, two young ladies, I'm still your patient, is it appropriate for you to slap me left and right?"
Ren Yuanhao's face was burning. Compared to the first slap, Shen Lan Ni's two slaps were no less than two heavy punches. If they had been any harder, her teeth would have likely fallen out.
—The combat power of this ultimate violent woman is too astonishing. I must be careful and cautious in the future; I can't afford to get hurt, can't afford to get hurt.
"Hmph, these two slaps are light. We'll settle our score after you've recovered a bit!" Shen Lan Ni deliberately turned her head away, suppressing the lingering romantic thoughts in her heart, and said with a slight tremor.
"Alright, alright, alright. I'll definitely come to you with a heavy burden of thorns in the future. Sigh, I was thinking of treating you specially during this special moment, sigh, sigh, sigh, I'm truly wronged!"
The two women exchanged a glance. How could they not understand that Ren Yuanhao's actions just now were entirely to help them escape danger? As their eyes met, they simultaneously blurted out two words: Thank you.
"Ah, no need. Save the trouble of saying too much and making more mistakes. If I get slapped again later, it will be terribly awkward."
Ren Yuanhao shook his head and swayed, lamenting as he carried the flashlight to the fallen giant stone door.
"Impressive. There isn't even a crack on the edge. How are we supposed to pry open such a huge stone door?"
Shen Lan Ni also came to Ren Yuanhao's side, holding her flashlight up to look at the top.
"It seems someone discovered this cave before us. And a stone door that is two people high definitely couldn't be moved by a single great ape. I suspect this is a mechanism set up by previous generations to prevent the secret of that tree from being discovered?"
Shen Lan Ni reached out and patted the stone door. Other than swirling dust and a dull, heavy sound, there was no other movement.
"Yes, and judging by the monkey's actions, it's likely the guardian of this place," Ren Yuanhao added.
"I think that monkey might be the 'stinky monkey' that Sister Lan Ni couldn't catch when she was a child."
Yang Lingxue's nose twitched. She imitated Shen Lan Ni and tapped the stone door several times. Just then, her expression suddenly changed. She kept scratching and clawing at the spot she was tapping, then brought the flashlight beam very close, and exclaimed in surprise.
"You two, come quickly and look! It looks like something is written here!"
Hearing this, the two of them looked on with doubt. As they leaned in and took a look, good heavens, indeed, some rather strange characters were elegantly carved there!
"Let me see."
Shen Lan Ni's palm strength was considerable. After several taps, an area of stone carving about the size of a square table reappeared!
"These characters look a bit like Small Seal Script," Ren Yuanhao said. Having participated in a calligraphy club during college, he naturally recognized this basic and well-known ancient script.
"It is indeed Small Seal Script, and, look, at the end of this stele-like inscription, the author who carved such lively and elegant seal script is faintly inscribed."
Shen Lan Ni stroked the almost weathered imprint at the end and shook her head with some disappointment.
"It's a pity that this master artist couldn't even leave his own name behind in the end, not even giving future generations a chance to admire it. It's truly a shame," Ren Yuanhao also sighed several times.
"Hey, hey, hey, do you think you're a bit too relaxed? Look, there's a stone door blocking the way ahead, and a sinister tree lurking behind us, yet you're here discussing ancient history. Aren't you afraid a monster will suddenly pop out from somewhere?"
As Yang Lingxue finished speaking, clear breathing sounds indeed arose from behind the three of them!
"Miss Yang, is your mouth perhaps blessed?"