Although this wasn't the first time he had reunited with someone from his past, encountering two different people in nearly the same spot was enough to make Chuck feel a bit dazed.
Is this Southwest Bay some kind of spawn point for old acquaintances?
Watching the petite, busty girl jog toward him, her hair bouncing with every step and her face lit up with surprise, Chuck couldn't help but shake his head helplessly.
To make matters worse, she was another woman he had once, to some degree, loved.
Jiang Qi. Chuck's girlfriend during his sophomore year of college. Their relationship had lasted six months—the longest he had ever dated anyone.
Six months wasn't exactly an eternity, but before her, his relationships rarely lasted more than two months. After her, the longest barely stretched past seven days.
If Tang Yumeng had destroyed young Chuck's adolescent fantasies, Jiang Qi had taught him that even a seemingly perfect relationship didn't guarantee a happy ending.
Even so, most of Chuck's memories of Jiang Qi were pleasant.
She had delicate features, a cheerful personality, and a carefree, almost tomboyish attitude. They had met at a university club gathering, and she had left a deep impression on him from the start.
After exchanging contact info, they naturally grew close. A few meetups later, before Chuck could even plan his pursuit, she confessed to him first. They officially started dating, launching into a sickeningly sweet campus romance.
They posted couple photos, brought each other breakfast, sat together in class, saved seats in the cafeteria and library, and planned their weekends every Thursday night.
They went shopping, ate out, watched movies, walked by the seaside, bought condoms at convenience stores, and booked hotel rooms to have sex.
Chuck had sexual experience before Jiang Qi, but she had given her virginity to him without reservation.
The time he spent with her was, before coming to the island, the most sexually compatible and wild period of his life. To some extent, she was the direct reason for his preference for large breasts and beautiful feet.
Jiang Qi was petite, around 1.6 meters tall, with slender limbs, yet she possessed E-cup breasts that seemed completely mismatched with her frame.
Every weekend, Chuck would book a hotel for two days. They'd check in on Friday night after their date and wouldn't leave until Sunday morning. For a day and a half, they stayed in the room—fucking when they woke up, sleeping when they were tired, ordering takeout when hungry.
Every time, a full box of condoms would be nearly empty by the end.
They tried every position and played every game. After they broke up, Chuck experienced withdrawal symptoms from sex for a long time.
Their relationship was harmonious; they never fought and always had things to talk about. Jiang Qi would play games with him, watch his favorite movies and anime, and occasionally buy him small gifts with her part-time job money, never asking for anything in return.
So, when she suddenly asked to break up on that night before Christmas, Chuck was genuinely confused.
The ending was anticlimactic.
Thanks to Tang Yumeng's earlier influence, Chuck had developed a strong sense of self. After the breakup, he didn't pester her. To avoid heartache, he deleted all her contact info, got drunk twice with his roommates, and moved on.
Chuck knew well that living his own life well was far more important than crying and trying to salvage a relationship with someone determined to leave.
But that experience was a lesson, and Chuck was good at learning from lessons.
Now, Chuck was surrounded by women who were devoted to him, who relied on him for survival, and whom he cherished in return. It proved that returning to a primal male-female dynamic was the most unbreakable bond.
Seeing his ex again after so many years, Chuck felt surprisingly calm. Realizing his change in mindset, he smiled frankly.
"Long time no see."
His tone was warm but polite, like reuniting with an old friend.
Five years had passed, but Jiang Qi looked almost exactly the same as she did in college.
Simple shoulder-length hair, the same petite figure with massive E-cup breasts, a loose light-colored T-shirt, khaki culottes, smiling eyes that curved into crescents, and two shallow dimples on her slightly baby-fat cheeks.
Of course, her clothes were damp, and her skin was dusted with sand and dirt. She must have woken up on the beach after the last storm.
"Whoa..."
Unlike Chuck's calm, Jiang Qi trotted up to him, tilting her head back further and further until she stopped in front of him, staring up at his mountain-like physique.
Her mouth dropped open, her smile turning into shock and awe.
"How did you get so tall? And so buff!"
"Secondary puberty," Chuck explained with a smile.
"My god, is that even scientific?" Jiang Qi blinked, instinctively raising a hand and standing on tiptoe to measure their height difference before realizing it was inappropriate and awkwardly lowering her hand.
She grinned again, revealing a polite smile. "Hehe, so weird. I thought I was dead. How did I meet you here? Am I dreaming?"
"It's not a dream." Chuck thought for a moment and pointed to the cave. "It's a long story. Let's go sit over there."
"Okay!" Jiang Qi looked up at him, pursing her rosy lips and nodding with a smile.
The atmosphere seemed harmonious, but there was an undercurrent of awkwardness.
...
"By the way..."
They entered the cave and sat on some rocks. Chuck looked at the burning fire and realized something, looking at Jiang Qi in surprise.
"How did you start this fire?"
"Light... ah, no, I just started it."
For some reason, Jiang Qi stammered and stopped mid-sentence. Chuck was puzzled but didn't press her.
He tossed a handful of twigs into the fire, pondered for a moment, and looked at his ex-girlfriend seriously.
"It might be hard to accept this suddenly, but this is a deserted island, completely cut off from the world."
"Eh?..."
Hearing this, Jiang Qi froze. She stared wide-eyed for a moment, then pursed her lips and giggled.
"Hahaha, what are you talking about, Chuck? Is this a bad joke contest? I won't lose, you know."
Seeing her reaction, Chuck's expression became serious.
"Jiang Qi, this isn't a joke. I'm telling you the truth."
"..."
Seeing Chuck's face, the smile on Jiang Qi's face quickly faded.
She was a good listener, which was why their relationship had been so harmonious. But a deserted island...
"If this is a deserted island... why did I meet you here?"
Jiang Qi frowned slightly, looking at Chuck, her hands nervously kneading her knees.
"Honestly, I don't know."
"I arrived on this island over two months ago and have been living here since. During this time, other people have washed ashore."
"Some are from different parts of the world, some knew each other, but without exception, everyone including me encountered a shipwreck, drifted here with the waves, and woke up on the beach."
Chuck looked into Jiang Qi's eyes earnestly.
"I'm guessing it's the same for you?"
Chuck still only knew the tip of the iceberg regarding the island's secrets. He could only inform her of the current situation; whether she believed it or not was beyond his control.
"..."
Sure enough, hearing this, Jiang Qi's expression sank.
But strangely, her dark expression didn't last long. She soon put on a carefree smile again.
"Alright, if that's the case, then there's no helping it."
Now it was Chuck's turn to be surprised.
"Aren't you scared?"
"Being scared won't help. Since it's come to this... honestly, I thought everything before was a dream, but now that you mention it..."
Jiang Qi stopped halfway again, then waved her small hand. "Forget it, let's not talk about my stuff."
Chuck opened his mouth but swallowed his words. He had wanted to ask how she ended up here, but since she didn't want to talk, there was no need to pry.
They fell into silence, the atmosphere heavy.
"Phew—"
Finally, Jiang Qi stretched out her long, fair legs, her khaki culottes sliding up her knees, her sneakers pressing together.
She leaned back slightly, her full chest heaving, looking up at the dim cave ceiling.
"I never expected to see you again like this."
A myriad of emotions seemed to flash through her eyes, but they were quickly hidden. She turned back to Chuck with a bright smile.
"Chuck, have you been well these past few years?"
"Not bad," Chuck nodded. He felt inexplicably uncomfortable with the question, so he patted his pants and stood up.
"Anyway, that's the situation. I'll take you to where I live. You can eat something, rest, and then think about what to do next."
Even though she was his ex, and even though he was the one dumped, to be fair, Jiang Qi had put more effort into their relationship when they were together. Their breakup hadn't been ugly, just sudden.
"Okay."
Naturally, Jiang Qi accepted Chuck's invitation, her face lighting up with a touching smile again.
"Even if it's a deserted island, it's great to meet someone I know."
...
Having just woken up on the beach, Jiang Qi was physically weak and walked slowly. Chuck matched her pace as they headed toward the stone platform.
They chatted idly along the way, and the awkwardness soon dissipated amidst jokes and banter.
"Chuck, tell the truth, did you use steroids?"
"What the hell, I told you it's secondary puberty."
"You really are tall and strong now. Wait... do you have abs?"
"Uh, didn't I have them back then?"
"As far as I know, not really. You could say they were hidden by fat, but they were nice to touch back then, hehe."
Jiang Qi made a groping gesture with her hands like a perverted old man. "Let me touch?"
Chuck sweated. "For some reason, I'm resistant to that. Permit me to refuse."
"Hmph, stingy."
"Can I touch your boobs then?"
"I didn't have secondary puberty, you know. They feel exactly the same as before."
"It's fine, I don't mind."
"Fine, go ahead."
Chuck turned in surprise to see Jiang Qi actually stop, turn around, and thrust her impressive chest toward him. Her face held a strange blush.
Chuck was stunned. He didn't expect her to agree. Without hesitation, he reached out.
"Surprise attack!"
As expected, just before his hand touched the soft fabric covering her massive breasts, Jiang Qi suddenly crouched down, thrust her hands under Chuck's shirt, groped his abs, and ran away giggling.
Her white legs moved briskly over the stone beach, her khaki skirt swaying. The girl turned back, stuck out her pink tongue at Chuck, rubbed her small hands together, and grinned mischievously.
"They really do feel better than before~"
Looking at her figure, Chuck felt a momentary trance, as if he were back on the leaf-strewn campus, laughing and playing with her.
But he quickly banished the feeling.
Five years had passed. Time seemed to have paused for Jiang Qi; she was exactly the same as in his memories, unchanged in the slightest.
But Chuck had changed.
Not just his height and body, but his heart, even his personality, were worlds apart from his college self.
Things change, people change. Once some things change, you can never go back.
...
"There are many companions where I live. I'll introduce you later," Chuck whispered to Jiang Qi as they stopped at the steep slope of the stone platform after crossing the stone beach.
"Are they the survivors from around the world you mentioned? What are they like?"
Chuck's words piqued Jiang Qi's curiosity, but she followed him down the slope step by step.
"Two Canadian mares, two Japanese high school girls, a Chinese mother and daughter duo... oh, and a Russian female soldier. Except for the last one, who's a bit tough to deal with, everyone else is easy to get along with."
"I see... wait?"
Jiang Qi nodded, then froze, looking at Chuck's back in astonishment.
"Why... are they all women?"
"Yes, they are all women," Chuck added without looking back as he walked.
"This is a deserted island. They live under my protection, so naturally, they are all my women."
Chuck spoke calmly.
As if stating a matter of fact.