This way, by the time Xi Yi returned, she only needed to wash herself, change clothes, and then clean the dirty garments. Of course, she’d have to dry them by the fire—otherwise, she’d have nothing to wear. Truly, this was an aunt’s essential tool!
Outside, heavy rain poured, making water collection quite easy. With Xi Yi’s quick hands and feet, she barely had time to sit on the large leaf beside the bathtub before he handed her the water.
Gathering plant ash didn’t take long either. Sha Yi only wrapped one bundle, while Xi Yi, curious about the rest, took them to try wrapping himself.
She didn’t stop him. Instead, while he was outside handling the ash, she quickly cleaned the bloodstains from her body and changed into fresh clothes. However, with no other options for washing, she had to slip on a pair of outer shorts, thinking she’d switch back once they dried.
Beyond the partition of animal hide, Xi Yi’s ash-wrapping skills were far from impressive. After much effort, more ash ended up spilled than wrapped. Sha Yi watched for a while before shaking her head and taking over the task herself.
It was still early, and with the rain, most people were asleep. Sha Yi figured she might as well wash the dirty clothes now—partly to change back sooner, and partly because delaying might make them harder to clean. Plus, with few awake at this hour, she could avoid some awkwardness.
But there were still issues. She was already feeling a bit uncomfortable, and without rain gear, going outside wasn’t ideal. She couldn’t exactly wash bloodstained clothes at the cave entrance, and doing it inside would mean endless trips for water—a hassle.
Yet, it turned out she was overthinking. Before she could even touch the dirty clothes, Xi Yi had already taken them away.
Dumbfounded, she watched as he busily placed them into a large wooden container. It took her a moment to react before she hurried over, flustered, trying to snatch them back.
Unexpectedly, Xi Yi swiftly dropped the clothes, firmly blocked her, and then—before she could process it—lifted her up and gently placed her into the fur-lined bathtub. As if remembering something, he turned, pushed aside the hide partition, and strode out of the small private space.
Sha Yi was confused, but the dull ache in her abdomen kept her lazily curled in the tub, wondering what Xi Yi was up to.
She didn’t wait long. Soon, he returned.
In his hands was a thin, white fur. As he approached, she realized it was likely the hide he’d brought back during a sunny hunt, stuffed in his vine pouch. Now, it looked meticulously prepared, no longer the messy bundle from before.
She’d only glimpsed it once and hadn’t seen it since. Now, unsure of his intentions, she waited for him to explain—unless he planned to use it as some sort of makeshift diaper.
Her thoughts were still wandering when Xi Yi sat beside her. Startled, she saw him solemnly drape the white fur over her. After a pause, he spoke stiffly, “Sha Yi, ever since I lost the first fur in the woods that day, I’ve wanted to give you another. But this one… the weather delayed its preparation.”
His words weren’t entirely clear to her. Instinct told her he was gifting her the fur, but his solemnity mixed with awkwardness reminded her of their earlier misunderstanding during the migration. She grasped most of it but couldn’t resist teasing him.
Eyeing the muscular man struggling with words, she blinked and prodded, “So? Are you giving this to me? Why?”
As expected, her teasing left him silent, lips pressed tight.
After a pause with no response, she regretted her bluntness and was about to explain when Xi Yi suddenly spoke again, more fluently—and with a hint of domineering roughness: “When a man gives a woman hide or fur, it means he likes her. Accepting it means she accepts him. You said you wouldn’t leave me. The first time, you already accepted me. This is just a replacement. You can’t refuse.”
This was different from his earlier hesitation—more assertive, almost possessively so.
Sha Yi was stunned. Had she accidentally unleashed his innate, overbearing nature?
After a moment’s thought, she found this highly plausible and inwardly chuckled before replying with a smirk, “With so few women here, how do you feel about one woman having multiple partners?”
Xi Yi’s expression darkened instantly. His deep, beautiful brown eyes locked onto her, unspoken words hanging between them.
Perhaps… the joke had gone too far.
Under his gaze, she grew uneasy and weakly pointed somewhere, murmuring, “I-I’ve seen other tribes do it… Just a random thought… Not about me. Why are you staring like that?”
“I don’t want you to have other men.”
His unexpected response held jealousy but not anger, sorrow but not rage.
Caught off guard, Sha Yi looked up to see pain in his eyes.
“In our tribe, partners are one-to-one. Other tribes might share a woman for offspring, but if it came to that… I’d rather have no children than share you with another man.”
His words left her stunned. It took her a long moment to recover.
He was like her—only accepting unwavering loyalty. This moved her deeply, especially in an ancient world that prioritized reproduction. A woman with multiple men might be the most practical survival strategy, yet Xi Yi rejected it entirely. He—and perhaps their entire small group—were emotional outliers in this era.
Even more surprising was his stance on offspring. Modern society, after millennia of evolution, still struggled with this concept, yet here he was, declaring it outright.
Now, guilt gnawed at her. She’d made a thoughtless joke, hurting him and burdening herself with remorse. Softly, she wrapped her arms around his waist and whispered, “I’m sorry, Xi Yi. I wasn’t serious. I just wanted to tease you. Like you, I only believe in two people in love.”
Before she finished, he pulled her into a crushing embrace, his grip tightening as if no amount of closeness could reassure him. She stayed quiet, letting him hold her.
After a long while, his low voice murmured in her ear—
“Sha Yi, the first time I saw you in the marsh, I knew I wanted to be with you forever.”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage