Xi Yi wasn’t heading back to the cave. As they passed the cave where they had spent the night, he unexpectedly pulled out a leaf-wrapped bundle of fruits and handed it to her.
Sha Yi obediently took it, and he entered the cave to retrieve several animal hides. He packed everything inside, casually wrapped them up, slung the bundle over his shoulder, and gestured for her to follow him.
Setting off from the cave, they crossed the swamp where she had once been trapped, climbed a steep slope of loose rocks, and walked a long distance before Xi Yi finally stopped and put down the load he was carrying.
This place was a highland. Judging by the lengthy trek, they had moved from lower ground to higher terrain, likely due to the so-called rainy season. Sha Yi sensed an urgency in Xi Yi’s movements.
The trees on this highland were tall and healthy but not densely packed, so even as night fell, there was still enough light filtering through. Sha Yi glanced around, and her attention was immediately drawn to a towering giant tree diagonally across from her.
This tree was absurdly massive. Though she had seen many oversized plants since arriving here, she had never encountered one as enormous as this. Even the ancient trees she had seen in modern villages couldn’t compare to half its size. Moreover, the trunk had a sizable hollow about four or five meters above the ground. Whether natural or man-made, it still thrived with lush foliage.
Xi Yi stopped walking and pointed at the giant tree, saying, “Weiladuo kenaye.” ([“Weiladuo kenaye”: We’ll stay here.])
Sha Yi recognized this phrase. He had said it to her by the small lake. Considering the context of the past two days, she concluded that it definitely meant, “We’ll stay here tonight.”
Glancing at the tree again, Sha Yi was deeply skeptical.
No matter how cozy the tree might seem, she couldn’t shake her unease. In fair weather, it might be fine, but during thunderstorms, taking shelter under such a massive tree was practically inviting a lightning strike!
Xi Yi seemed to sense her concern. He pointed at the darkening sky, shook his head, and waved his hand dismissively.
Still hesitant, Sha Yi hesitated for a moment before recalling Xi Yi’s decisive actions earlier that afternoon when he had ventured out to gather wild fruits. Reluctantly, she nodded and mimicked his words: “Weiladuo kenaye.”
Xi Yi looked momentarily surprised, then broke into a smile. He gave her a thoughtful glance before abruptly turning and jumping down the slope beside them.
Startled, Sha Yi leaned over to look.
Xi Yi, with his back to her, bent down and rummaged through a muddy, overgrown hollow at the base of the slope. After watching for a while, Sha Yi saw him pull out a large, boat-shaped object in a dull yellow hue. With a mighty heave, he lifted it overhead and tossed it up onto the slope.
When she saw what had landed in front of her, Sha Yi nearly screamed—it was her wooden bathtub!
But the bathtub wasn’t empty. Inside were towels, a bathrobe, a toothbrush, toothpaste, a cup, shampoo, soap, laundry detergent… nearly all her daily toiletries. In the corner, she even found a sealed box of lighters and a pack of matches—items she had bought the day before her unexpected time travel. Her apartment complex had announced a power outage for one night, coinciding with her day off, so she had prepared in advance. Little did she know she’d never get to use them before being whisked away to this era.
Staring at these familiar modern comforts, Sha Yi felt both joy and sorrow. A lump formed in her throat, and tears welled up.
Below the slope, Xi Yi was still busy tossing more items up. Through her blurry vision, Sha Yi watched as an increasing number of familiar objects landed before her.
A small wooden bucket for water, a stainless steel basin… it seemed like everything was there, even the pile of dirty laundry she hadn’t had time to wash. Amid the clothes, she even spotted two large bags of potato chips she had left on the bathroom counter, intending to snack on during her bath.
By the time Xi Yi climbed back up with the last few items, Sha Yi began to wonder if her entire bathroom had somehow traveled through time with her!
A fruit knife, galvanized iron rods and wires, three coils of polyethylene rope… weren’t these the things she kept in the storage cabinet by the bathroom door?
Xi Yi seemed particularly fascinated by the fruit knife. After returning to the slope, he kept turning it over in his hands, examining it closely before finally looking up at her.
Noticing his gaze, Sha Yi wiped her eyes and forced a faint smile. In response, he suddenly leaped toward her, cupping her face with concern, his lips moving as if he wanted to say something. But after a long pause, no words came out. He simply stared at her, helpless.
Sha Yi gently pulled his hands away, plucked a wet piece of grass from his chest, and pushed him back before trudging over to sit beneath the giant tree, her mood somber.
For a moment, Xi Yi’s eyes dimmed with disappointment. He stood frozen for a while before silently sitting down a short distance away, his back turned to her.
She wasn’t oblivious to his dejection, but her own emotions were too tangled to address it.
Time travel had been beyond her wildest expectations, and being sent back to the prehistoric era was the last thing she wanted. In this era, not only did she lack survival skills, but even adapting to the environment was an immense challenge. Of course, if not for this primitive man named Xi Yi, she had no doubt she’d already have become a pile of dung in a saber-toothed tiger’s den.
She was grateful to him, but that didn’t mean she was willing to live like this. Such harsh conditions were an unbearable burden for anyone—no one could predict whether they’d survive the next moment!
Moreover, she had grown up accustomed to a life of comfort. Even her most difficult days in the modern world couldn’t compare to this era. And above all, she missed her family terribly.
Now, recalling the absurd thought she’d had by the lakeside cave, Sha Yi realized how naive it had been—like some lovestruck girl’s fantasy of time-travel romance.
In this ancient era, disasters lurked everywhere. In just three days, she had experienced more than enough. Now, seeing remnants of her past life only deepened her aversion to this place.
But aversion was useless… Time travel wasn’t teleportation. This was a world without her people, and she had no idea how to return—if she ever could. Perhaps she was doomed to stay here forever.
If that was her fate, then she had no choice but to rely on him. There was no other way.
Sha Yi felt utterly overwhelmed. Lost in her frustration, she accidentally brushed against something prickly on the side of the giant tree. Turning her head, she found herself face-to-face with two glowing points of light. With a shriek of “Oh my god!”, she leaped to her feet.
The moment she jumped up, she regretted it. Truly, misfortunes never came singly. Before she could even run, her foot snapped the dry branch she’d been sitting on, sending her stumbling forward—straight toward Xi Yi, who was still unaware of her panic.
Before he could even turn around, her flying tackle sent them both crashing to the ground.
By the time they scrambled up, the two floating points of light had already darted to their feet. Instinctively, Sha Yi grabbed Xi Yi’s arm and clung to him tightly.
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