Staring at the bloody mess beneath her for a long moment, Sha Yi finally snapped back to reality. Ignoring the dull ache in her lower abdomen, she frantically tried to crawl out of the bathtub, only to have her wrist grabbed the moment she turned sideways.
Xi Yi’s expression had shifted from confusion to clarity. Due to her panicked movements, he had also noticed the splatters of blood on himself and in the bathtub, his face darkening slightly.
In this awkward and distressing situation, she caught the change in his expression and grew even more flustered. Driven by urgency, she began struggling wildly, desperate to break free from his grip.
But, as fate would have it, things rarely go as one wishes.
The more she struggled, the tighter Xi Yi held on. In the end, he pinned her down in the bathtub, rendering her immobile, while the blood beneath her spread even thicker.
At this point, he didn’t look much better than her—covered in blood, his brows furrowed so tightly they nearly met. His lips were pressed into a thin line, his entire demeanor radiating tension.
Knowing she couldn’t overpower him, Sha Yi wisely gave up the fight.
Yet, the next second, she regretted it—Xi Yi, undeterred by the metallic stench or the gruesomeness of the scene, yanked up her dress. But he didn’t find what he was looking for. Pausing briefly, he glanced down at the still-damp bloodstains on his own animal-hide skirt before roughly sliding his large hand beneath her waist and hips. Only when his fingers met sticky wetness did he jerk his hand back in alarm.
His palm was drenched in crimson, the scent of iron thick in the air.
Sha Yi’s composure shattered. The breath she’d been holding burst out, and she reflexively shoved against the muscular man pinning her down.
But Xi Yi refused to relent, pressing her back into the bathtub once more.
As her struggles threatened to escalate, he finally spoke, his voice laced with confusion and concern: “Where are you hurt? Tell me what happened…”
His words struck her like a bolt of lightning. So he thought she was bleeding from an injury?
Dumbfounded, Sha Yi stared at him for a long moment before snapping back to reality and shaking her head reflexively. “I’m not hurt! How could I be hurt?”
“Then…” Xi Yi glanced at the blood on his hand, his confusion deepening as he fell silent, brows knitted.
The awkwardness, momentarily interrupted, returned in full force with the prolonged silence. Worse still, the atmosphere between them grew strangely tense.
It was an unsettling tension—one that, she sensed, might drag this situation into some abnormal territory.
Sha Yi decided the smartest move was to retreat immediately and deal with her period. Though she had no idea how people in ancient times handled such matters, she could at least ask Xi Gu for advice!
But reality proved her optimism misplaced. The tall man beside her likely had no clue about female anatomy, let alone the monthly cycle. The moment she made her decision, he swiftly reached out and tentatively pressed a hand against her lower abdomen.
Xi Yi’s expression was complex—far from his earlier tension, now replaced with something entirely different. In his eyes, she caught a flicker of reluctance, faint traces of sorrow… and even jealousy?
But this state didn’t last. In the blink of an eye, he crushed her against his chest, holding her so tightly she could barely breathe. Moments later, as if possessed, he began showering her neck with rough, trembling kisses.
She tried to push him away, but he refused to let go, murmuring desperately into her ear, “Don’t leave me… You can’t leave me…” His voice was thick with pleading, his words utterly helpless.
Sha Yi was dizzy with confusion.
She had no idea what had gotten into him. Watching him now, as if struck by some unseen blow, she hesitated for a long moment before gently patting his shoulder in reassurance, though her mind was still swirling with questions. “I won’t leave you. But Xi Yi… what’s wrong?”
“You…” After a long pause, the man finally spoke, his voice slow and hesitant. “Are you… this blood… the child… Those questions you asked before bed… Was it…”
Sha Yi’s jaw dropped.
So her period had been mistaken for a miscarriage?
Gaping at the man staring intently at her, she nearly slapped him. Before and after meeting him, she had always been a self-respecting woman—how could pregnancy or miscarriage possibly be linked to her?
What kind of nonsense were ancient people thinking?
Sha Yi was exasperated but powerless.
Back when they’d first met, he had done the same thing—pressing her abdomen to check for pregnancy. She understood the primal male desire for offspring, but hadn’t he already confirmed it back then? Why was he doubting her now?
Then again, she had only herself to blame. Right before bed, she had foolishly asked him why pregnancy wasn’t possible during the rainy season. And then, in the middle of the night, her period arrived in full force, flooding the bathtub with blood. Given the primitive understanding of the time, his alarm and suspicion were understandable.
So, considering the context—from his initial assumption that she was injured to his eventual conclusion—she could perhaps cut him some slack. At least he hadn’t jumped straight to the worst-case scenario.
Moreover, even if he suspected or believed she had miscarried, his only request was for her not to leave him. That alone tugged at her heart, leaving her with a pang of sorrow, even desolation.
Perhaps he had always harbored deep feelings for her—from the very beginning, his attachment had run profound.
She didn’t know how people in ancient times viewed emotions, but by modern standards, Xi Yi truly cared for her. Even with such suspicions, his only response was a plea.
Though he might be inwardly distressed, he showed none of it. He adored her, spoiled her, cherished her—yet never once loosened his grip. She knew well the intensity of his desire, but she hadn’t expected that, even believing she had lost a child, he still wanted her to stay. She didn’t know if ancient people cared about chastity, but human nature inherently resists sharing what it treasures.
And he—he genuinely wanted to be with her.
At this thought, she couldn’t help but tighten her embrace, whispering into his ear, “Xi Yi, I won’t leave you. It’s just…”
She trailed off, unsure how to explain, and instead sidestepped the topic. “It’s not what you think. I wasn’t pregnant, and I didn’t lose a child. I… I’ve never been intimate with any man… except you. But even you haven’t done that with me, so there’s no way I could’ve been pregnant, let alone lost a child…”
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