Stranded with Beauties: Chronicles of Temptation

Chapter 003: Money is useless here

"I'm not selling. I don't have enough for myself. Go buy them somewhere else! Good day!" I said to Su Ya with a smile. On this strange, deserted island, food was paramount; sometimes, it was worth a life.

"Then how much do you want? One million. I'll give you one million dollars for one crab!" Su Ya, seeing I still wouldn't sell, assumed I was trying to extort her. Disgust filled her as she blurted out the offer.

I gave her a long look. One million. Before, I would have agreed without hesitation. In the concrete jungle of the city, a man's status was determined by his wealth. Rich men were powerful, with beautiful women fawning over them. But here, money was useless. Skills like mine, the survival skills of a country boy, were what mattered.

I ignored her and walked past her towards the beach. I wasn't worried about her running off with my crabs. She had no fire, so she couldn't eat them raw. Besides, I doubted she had the nerve.

On the beach, I found a flat rock bigger than my palm and some longer stones to use as supports. While searching, I spotted another crab skittering sideways among the rocks. I quickly apprehended it. With five crabs now, I felt relieved. It should be enough. The rocks, however, were becoming too much to carry. I stuffed one more into my pocket.

"So, what do you want… I'm really hungry…"

As expected, Su Ya was still there when I returned, clearly not daring to steal my catch. She looked fragile, her beautiful eyes filled with tears, her lips trembling as she spoke.

Su Ya wasn't stupid. She wasn't a mindless woman. She had a plan. *This man is detestable,* she thought, *but without him, I'll die of hunger or thirst before the rescue team arrives. I'll pretend to be pitiful, make him feel sorry for me, and then he'll cook the crabs for me and cater to my needs!*

"Tell you what, I don't care about money. One small request per meal. Don't worry, it won't be anything excessive," I said with a grin. Opportunities to interact with a beautiful celebrity were rare, and I wasn't going to let this one pass. Luckily, I was unaware of her thoughts about making me serve her. Otherwise, I might have made even more outrageous demands.

"Bastard! Why don't you just die! Your head is full of excessive requests!" Su Ya, imagining the worst, cursed angrily.

"Tch, if I were truly**, I would have taken advantage of the situation already. Why would I bother catching crabs?" I scoffed, deliberately glancing at her before walking away.

I set up the stones in the fire, crushed the crabs, and returned to the seashore to wash off inedible parts and shells. The salty seawater cleansed the crabs of their fishy smell. I then skewered them with thin, clean sticks and placed them on the flat rock over the fire.

The flat rock was small, barely fitting two crabs, but it would have to do. Stone-grilled crab, pure and simple!

I piled more wood onto the fire, making it crackle fiercely. I worried the stone might crack, sending the crab meat into the flames. I was starving. Catching crabs, building a fire, and dealing with Su Ya had taken a lot out of me. I stared intently at the crabs, afraid they'd disappear.

"Sizzle!"

The crab meat sizzled on the hot stone, releasing a tantalizing aroma. I inhaled deeply. It smelled heavenly, making my stomach rumble. My mouth watered profusely.

Suddenly, a stick poked my arm. Startled, I looked up to see Su Ya. She blinked her watery eyes, looking utterly pathetic.

"What?" I asked impatiently.

"I… I agree… but you can't make any excessive requests," Su Ya whispered, her face flushed.

"Definitely not. Just be obedient, don't say certain things, do as I ask. At most, maybe give me a back rub," I said, trying to appear nonchalant while secretly rejoicing.

"You really want me to serve you! I won't…" Su Ya, seeing her suspicions confirmed, gritted her teeth, looking defiant.

"You can refuse! I'll come up with a different request!" Su Ya's sudden resistance surprised me. I decided to appease her for now.

"I won't accept any requests. You're clearly scheming something. I don't believe you,*!" Su Ya declared with a determined glint in her eyes.

"Look, it's not the time to act like a spoiled princess or a diva. You're a burden! I can survive on my own. I don't care if you die!" I snapped.

Moments later, Su Ya's piercing cries filled the air, nearly shattering my eardrums. She sobbed uncontrollably, her grief palpable.

I looked at her. She sat on the sand, her face buried in her knees, her body trembling.

*Sigh,* she was a beautiful woman. I couldn't just let her starve. If we were the only survivors, and she died, even if I didn't die of hunger or animal attack, the loneliness of talking to trees would be unbearable. I had to compromise.

"Fine, I'll give you some crab. Happy now? I hate it when girls cry. This is my first request: stop crying, okay?"

Su Ya seemed not to hear. I crouched beside her, reaching out to touch her arm. As I was about to repeat myself, she suddenly looked up, nearly making me fall over.

"Really? Then I accept!" Su Ya, tears still streaming down her face, looked at me with delight, a triumphant glint in her eyes.

I felt utterly betrayed by my own compassion. *Damn, she's a good actress!*

*Whatever,* I thought. *She's beautiful. I'll let it slide.*

"Mmm, so fragrant! You're so skilled. You made these crabs smell amazing!" Su Ya, tears still clinging to her lashes, stared intently at the sizzling crab meat, drool glistening on her chin.