Zachary paused for a moment, then replied, "I promised your parents I'd keep you safe."
His voice was deep and resolute, leaving no room for doubt.
However, this answer didn't satisfy Seraphina.
She sighed softly, feeling an inexplicable sense of disappointment.
So, everything he did was just out of duty, not because of her.
She suddenly felt a bit ridiculous in front of him.
Like a rebellious child, she tried to resist this constraint. She stood up abruptly and declared loudly, "I'm going hiking! And you can't come with me!" With that, she turned and started walking up the mountain.
Zachary frowned and quickly caught up to her, grabbing her wrist firmly. "Seraphina, go back!" he ordered sternly.
His tone carried an undeniable authority.
But Seraphina wasn't intimidated.
She struggled to free herself, shouting, "Who do you think you are to control me?"
As they were at a standoff, Zachary suddenly lifted her onto his shoulder.
Ignoring her kicks and struggles, he walked straight towards the camp entrance.
Seraphina was startled by his sudden action and struggled desperately, but it was futile.
This scene caught the attention of everyone around.
Knox, Ezra, and Dane, who were nearby, widened their eyes in surprise.
Ezra shook his head and sighed, "Mr. Baker really doesn't know how to woo a girl."
Dane agreed, "Yeah, he's way too rough with Seraphina."
Zachary carried Seraphina to the door of her room and gently set her down.
He turned to leave, but Seraphina called out, "Zachary, I hate you!"
Her voice was filled with anger and frustration.
Zachary stopped and looked back at her.
His gaze was deep and cold. "I don't need you to like me." With that, he turned and walked away.
Seraphina was trembling with anger. She shouted, "I'll never like you in this lifetime!"
But Zachary didn't even look back as he left.
Watching his retreating figure, Seraphina felt a surge of inexplicable annoyance.
She found Zachary incredibly difficult to deal with.
Just then, Knox and Ezra approached.
They tried to comfort Seraphina, speaking up for Zachary. "Mr. Baker is actually a good guy. He takes good care of us. He's just a bit awkward and doesn't know how to be gentle with girls."
Hearing their words, Seraphina's anger subsided a bit.
She thought about it and decided it was best to avoid Zachary in the future.
Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she turned and went into her room.
At nine that evening, still upset with Zachary, Seraphina decided to use the public bathroom for a shower. As she came out in her pajamas, she bumped into Knox and Ezra, who were only wrapped in towels. Startled, they quickly covered themselves and asked why she was there.
Seraphina casually responded and left, leaving Knox and Ezra blushing.
After their shower, with their hair still wet, they hurried to report the incident to Zachary.
They advised Zachary to apologize to Seraphina and suggest she use his bathroom instead.
But Zachary just waved them off, telling them to go to bed and not meddle.
The two exchanged glances, thinking Zachary didn't care about Seraphina, and left reluctantly.
Zachary sat back on the couch, picking up the book he had been reading, but found he couldn't focus.
Images of Seraphina after her shower kept popping into his mind, her fresh and cute appearance making his heart race.
Thinking about her using the public bathroom with all the men made him inexplicably agitated.
Unable to sit still, he got up and started pacing the hallway.
Just then, Seraphina's door opened as she was about to fetch some water.
Seeing her, Zachary quickly walked over and stood at her door.
Startled by his sudden appearance, Seraphina instinctively crossed her arms over her chest, as she wasn't wearing a bra under her pajamas.
Zachary frowned and said directly, "Seraphina, you can't use the public bathroom at night anymore."
Seraphina was taken aback and asked, "Why? Why can't I?"
Zachary paused and simply said, "It's not appropriate." His tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.
Then, Zachary added, "And about this afternoon, I was too rough. I apologize." His unexpected apology surprised Seraphina; she hadn't expected him to apologize.
She had already forgiven him in her heart but stubbornly said, "No need to apologize. You did nothing wrong."
Zachary smiled at her stubbornness and said, "Alright then, how about I join you for a hike tomorrow morning at six?"
Hearing this, Seraphina perked up and replied defiantly, "Sure! I'm not afraid!"
And so, they set a time for their "hiking date," neither willing to back down.
After Zachary left, Seraphina saw it was already eleven and quickly went to bed.
Lying in bed, she thought about Zachary's apology and their agreement, feeling a warm sensation in her heart.
Reflecting on the afternoon, she realized her emotional outburst had caused the conflict.
And the reason for her anger left her feeling a bit helpless.
Deciding not to dwell on it, she soon drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, her alarm went off at 5:50, the piercing sound waking Seraphina instantly.
She sat up quickly, shaking off her sleepiness, and began her morning routine, mentally calculating the time.
She knew she couldn't be late, especially not in front of Zachary.
After getting ready, she checked her watch—5:59, just in time.
However, when she reached the camp entrance, Zachary was already there, looking serious. "You're late," he said coldly.
"One minute is still late," Zachary gave her no room for excuses. "According to our rules, being late means you have to accept a punishment."
Seraphina bit her lip, feeling a bit resentful but obediently agreed to accept the punishment.
But Zachary didn't immediately decide on a punishment. He just glanced at her and then started walking towards the mountain.
Seraphina hurried to keep up with his pace.
Before they set off, Zachary took a sun hat from his backpack and handed it to Seraphina. "Wear this, so you don't get sunburned."
Seraphina took the hat, feeling a warm sensation in her heart.
She put on the hat and carefully applied sunscreen to her face and arms.
They began their hike along an ancient trail.
It was a true wilderness path, with no steps, only rugged terrain and thorny bushes.
Seraphina soon found it challenging, panting heavily as she climbed.
"Can you handle it?" Zachary glanced back at her, a hint of concern in his eyes.
"No problem," Seraphina gritted her teeth and said firmly.
She knew she couldn't give up halfway, especially not in front of Zachary.
When they reached steeper sections, Zachary would climb up first and then extend a hand to help her.
His strong, steady hand gave Seraphina a sense of reassurance.
When they reached a rocky area, Seraphina finally had a chance to rest.
The scenery was beautiful, with wildflowers everywhere, like a paradise.
She couldn't resist picking a few flowers and making a small bouquet to admire.
"Looks like you really like flowers," Zachary said as he walked over.
"Yes," Seraphina smiled. "These wildflowers may not be as vibrant as city flowers, but they have a unique vitality."
"Just like you," Zachary said suddenly.
Seraphina was taken aback, then understood his meaning.