When Sha Yi was half-awake, the sky was already bright. The thick wooden block sealing the tree hollow had been removed, and sunlight streamed brilliantly through the entrance.
It seemed yesterday’s heavy rain was just an early warning, like a modern rainy season’s prelude—giving notice before fully setting in later.
The hollow wasn’t hot, likely because it was still morning. Sha Yi could even feel a gentle breeze drifting in, bringing a slight chill.
Lying on her side, she felt a bit cold but was too lazy to move. She reached out to grope around, remembering that Xi Yi had covered her with animal hide last night—though she wasn’t sure where she’d kicked it off to.
After a few attempts, she didn’t find the hide but instead touched a warm, muscular body. Startled, she flipped over and turned her head—it was Xi Yi.
She found it unbelievable that he hadn’t woken up early.
Now, Xi Yi lay beside her, her hand resting on his firm abdomen. He didn’t seem to mind, merely tilting his head to gaze at her with a smile in his eyes.
Sha Yi instantly felt like she’d been caught doing something wrong. Embarrassed, she withdrew her hand and awkwardly turned away, facing the other side.
She heard him chuckle before a large hand settled on her waist, pulling her back around.
Now face-to-face again, her cheeks still flushed with awkwardness, Xi Yi seemed utterly delighted by her shyness. He stared at her for a long moment before wrapping his arms around her, draping the hide over her and pressing a kiss to her neck.
She couldn’t quite feel his lips, only the ticklish scrape of his stubble. The hide carried his warmth, and the sensation sent her thoughts wandering.
For the first time, Sha Yi realized she was willing to be close to him. Perhaps everything she’d resisted before was just the constraints of modern tradition. Now, she deeply and truly felt his affection and care.
She thought, if they were really to be together, she might no longer reject it so strongly.
Xi Yi was in high spirits, clearly pleased by her docility. He gazed at her with unmistakable joy.
Sha Yi, both shy and drowsy, was about to nestle into his arms for more sleep when his warm hand settled on her abdomen again.
This time, he didn’t press firmly but instead slid his palm slowly, caressing with a sigh so faint it was almost imperceptible.
Puzzled, Sha Yi gently but firmly held his rough hand in place and looked at him questioningly.
Xi Yi’s expression was complicated—full of expectation yet tinged with disappointment, his eyes carrying an inexplicable helplessness. When he noticed her gaze, he quickly smiled and murmured, *“Posadolunsa.”* (*[Posadolunsa:]* *”Wait for the child until after the rainy season.”*)
This was a phrase she’d never heard before.
Thinking about how even their nonverbal communication was still stumbling, Sha Yi felt a headache coming on. She forced a smile, her drowsiness fading.
Just then, a loud noise erupted outside the hollow, followed by the startled cries of birds.
Xi Yi sprang up, peered down from the hollow, and turned to leave—but not before stroking her cheek and saying something before vanishing through the entrance.
Sha Yi slowly sat up.
Honestly, without accompanying gestures, Xi Yi’s words often left her more confused than enlightened—unless they were repeated phrases with contextual clues.
Right now, she guessed he might’ve told her not to go outside. But she thought it unnecessary—without him, she couldn’t climb down alone anyway. Even if she could, the earlier noise unsettled her. After all, a giant snake had passed by the previous night, and she wasn’t as bold as him.
After hesitating for a while, curiosity got the better of her. She crawled to the entrance and peeked down cautiously.
One glance was all it took to shock her.
From above, the entire giant tree was splattered with bloodstains, some branches even dangling blackened flesh. The tree itself had suffered severe damage—stripped bark, broken branches on one side, and the ground littered with debris.
This must’ve been the aftermath of last night’s commotion.
Below, Xi Yi stood amid the wreckage, carefully sifting through the mess.
The battleground was vast, affecting even the slope below, where leaves and branches had buried everything they’d left behind.
Sha Yi worried about her bathtub and hoped Xi Yi would retrieve their belongings soon. But the branches were too thick, and even his nearly two-meter-tall frame struggled with the task.
As he worked, her sharp eyes caught movement near the muddy shallows—a broken branch shifted slightly, leaves slipping away to reveal a gap. Inside, something thick, black, and serpentine slithered slowly, its scales reflecting an eerie blue-black sheen under the sunlight.
Alarmed, Sha Yi screamed, *“Xi Yi, watch out!”*
But it was too late. As her shout left her lips, Xi Yi turned to look up at her—and in that instant, the massive snake hidden beneath the debris lashed its tail, sending him flying.
Everything happened too fast. Before Xi Yi could react, the snake had already surged out, raising its head menacingly before him.
Under the sunlight, Sha Yi saw the serpent clearly.
This giant snake was nearly identical to the one she’d encountered when she first arrived—same crowned head, same bony plates along its spine—only darker in color and nearly three times larger. Now, it flicked its tongue, glaring viciously at Xi Yi.
Man versus serpent—the disparity was overwhelming. Even with Xi Yi’s bravery and experience, without weapons or allies, sheer size alone put him at a fatal disadvantage.
If he died… could she survive?
Panicked and desperate, Sha Yi impulsively kicked the thick wooden block sealing the hollow. It tumbled down and—miraculously—struck the snake square on the head with a loud *thud*.
Distracted, the snake whipped around, now fixated on the hollow’s entrance, its crimson tongue flicking, emerald eyes gleaming malevolently.
Sha Yi was terrified.
Repeated encounters with giant snakes were the last thing she wanted—this was beyond her capacity to endure. She was losing her mind!
Without hesitation, the snake struck. Its massive head slammed into the hollow, caving in a large portion of the entrance. Trapped, Sha Yi knew a few more hits like this would leave her with no escape—she’d be swallowed whole!
—
**Note:**
*[Posadolunsa]:* *”Wait for the child until after the rainy season.”*
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