Sha Yi waited in the small cave for a long time before Xi Yi finally made his way over. He embraced her excitedly and then told her that they planned to move the giant tree blocking the entrance of their settlement’s cave and clear the collapsed rocks. For now, she would need to stay in the cave a little longer.
Sha Yi nodded in agreement and gestured for him to hurry.
Xi Yi took a few steps but couldn’t resist turning back. He handed her the bone knife tucked at his waist and hugged her again, reluctant to let go. Hesitating, he finally muttered in a low voice, “Sha Yi, this situation seems to have been caused by us recklessly placing those ochre-colored thick vines last time.”
Before she could respond, he quickly touched her face and whispered, “Just pretend you don’t know. Once we clear the rocks blocking the entrance, I’ll take responsibility. Remember, this has nothing to do with you.”
He would take the blame?
But… recalling Sai Na’s earlier words, Sha Yi hesitated.
If Xi Yi took the blame, the consequences would be severe—possibly even implicating their entire tribe. If they simply treated it as a natural disaster, they might avoid reprimands, but the smaller groups near the cave entrance would suffer silently, likely losing many of their belongings. The cost would be heavy.
To speak or not to speak—either way was difficult.
Seeing her silent, Xi Yi took it as agreement. He patted her shoulder lightly and turned to leave, but Sha Yi reflexively wrapped her arms around his waist.
The embrace startled Xi Yi. When he turned back, his surprise turned to joy, though the worry in his eyes remained.
He simply stared at her, silent.
Sha Yi sighed and pressed her face against his chest, whispering, “Xi Yi, can you not tell them whose fault it was?”
Xi Yi fell silent for a long moment before finally replying, “I understand your thoughts, and I’m glad you’re considering the tribe. But this mistake can’t be ignored…”
“Unexplained disasters always stir panic. I can’t just think of myself and mislead them. If we pretend the tree fell naturally from lightning, many might consider moving out. Aimless migration during the rainy season would only lead to more casualties. Besides, dispersal usually happens when lightning lessens and rain increases—we’re not at that point yet. Look at the storms outside. If they leave now, I don’t know how far they’d make it.” He paused, ruffling her hair before adding, “If I really did that, we might never see some of them again next year.”
“Is it really that serious?”
“Of course.”
“Then…” Biting her lip, Sha Yi murmured, “Can we share the responsibility?”
“I don’t want you to face any blame. Even though this outcome is serious, I know you meant well. Every change comes at a cost. If they still can’t accept it after we compensate them, then it’s no longer our fault.” He kissed her forehead and gently pulled away. “Alright, I need to go help now, or we won’t be able to get in tonight. Stay here a little longer—I promise I’ll come back for you soon.”
Xi Yi left in a hurry. Watching his retreating figure, Sha Yi felt a pang of emotion.
He truly was different from Sai Na.
Sai Na’s advice had been well-intentioned—a perfect solution that absolved them of all blame and shielded them from consequences. She was stunned by his cunning and grateful for his genuine concern, but now she realized that following his suggestion might leave her with lifelong guilt.
Xi Yi’s approach was the opposite. Like Sai Na, he recognized the cause of the accident and understood the stakes, but instead of running, he chose to face it. His protectiveness made him shield her, but his integrity wouldn’t let him evade responsibility, even knowing the cost might be unpredictable and heavy.
At this moment, she couldn’t tell if Sai Na was too self-centered or if Xi Yi was too stubborn. Rationally, Sai Na’s suggestion was the most practical, but morally, Xi Yi’s decision was the most honorable.
After some thought, Sha Yi concluded that Xi Yi’s choice was more reliable. Sai Na’s idea, as Xi Yi had pointed out, would mislead people, and avoiding responsibility for mistakes was unforgivable.
Now, she could only hope the people in the settlement would show them some leniency—especially the smaller groups near the cave entrance who had suffered the most.
Lost in thought, Sha Yi suddenly heard faint footsteps outside the cave—lighter than Xi Yi’s. She tensed immediately.
But her worry was unnecessary. It was Ma Sa who entered, beaming at the sight of her. He grabbed her hand and exclaimed excitedly, “Sha Yi, Sha Yi, guess what? Today we saw a huge four-horned deer! It got stuck in a soft patch of grassland and didn’t even run when we tried to catch it! And there was all this weird black, greasy stuff in the grass—like wet mud or water. I think that’s why the deer couldn’t escape. So strange… Oh! Xi Yi sent me. He was worried you’d be scared alone!”
Ma Sa’s sudden shift in topic made Sha Yi both amused and touched, especially with his enthusiastic expression. His words also carried useful information, so she smiled and asked, “Has that black stuff in the grassland always been there?”
“Nope!” Ma Sa shook his head vigorously. “It only shows up in the rainy season. I’ve seen it before—near the big river, on the other side. There’s a huge grassland there too, with the same stuff, but it’s way more obvious. And before, where we used to live, there wasn’t any of this weird stuff.”
Listening to Ma Sa and recalling the riverbank and the strange substance in the terrifying forest’s waters, Sha Yi’s thoughts tangled briefly before clarity returned.
Ma Sa, still holding her hand, continued chattering, “This settlement’s not too bad in summer, but in the rainy season, the grasslands get so soft they might turn into swamps. This year’s rains are really heavy—flooding everywhere in just a few days. I think we might have to split up and find new places to live earlier than usual…”
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