Chapter 169: Overwhelming Insecurity

“I don’t recognize it either. I’ve genuinely never seen this thing before.” Tuge, who had been focused on dressing Xi Yi’s wounds, leaned in to add, “Alright, the wound is mostly taken care of, but the smell of blood all over you…”

Glancing up at the gloomy sky, Sha Yi pondered briefly. “How about we stay here for the night?”

Before Xi Yi could respond, Tuge immediately objected. “This place is too dangerous! We just killed that huge beast. How can you even think of staying here? Are you trying to get yourselves killed?”

“Precisely because we just killed that giant saber-toothed tiger, we should stay here,” Sha Yi said, standing up with a smile. “Haven’t you heard? The most dangerous place is the safest. This area was dominated by that tiger, so I doubt any other predators will be around now.”

“That makes sense. I agree,” Xi Yi chimed in, also rising to his feet with a grin. “Saber-toothed tigers, like dire wolves, are solitary creatures. They’re territorial, so I doubt any other beasts strong enough to challenge the tiger would be nearby. Let’s make do here for the night.”

“They’re right,” added Jialuo, who had just finished skinning the wolf. “There shouldn’t be any other predators around. And if you’re worried about snakes, just leave it to the giant-toothed eagles.”

With all three of them in agreement, Tuge had no choice but to relent, though he pouted in silent protest.

Sha Yi chuckled. “If you’re really against it, we could try moving on. It’ll be dark soon. If you’re confident, we could ride the eagles, but you know they refuse to fly at night. Plus, we have no idea what lies ahead. And as you can see, Xi Yi’s injuries are severe. I can’t do much to help in that regard.”

After considering the situation, Tuge found their reasoning sound and dropped the issue, though he still grumbled, “At least wash off the blood. We don’t want to attract anything else. And keep the wounds dry—don’t let the water wash away the herbs!”

Sha Yi acknowledged his warning, set the small animal aside, and retrieved clean clothes from the bathtub before leading Xi Yi slowly toward the small lake where Jialuo had initially tumbled.

The lake wasn’t natural and was relatively shallow. Judging by the scattered, fallen trees around it, Sha Yi guessed it had been formed by lightning strikes during the rainy season. Over time, rainwater had accumulated in the depression left by the fallen trees, creating the lake.

Though the weather had improved recently, sunlight was still scarce. The waterlogged depression, nestled in the forest, evaporated much more slowly than open land.

Xi Yi stepped into the water, which barely reached his hips—far too shallow to risk washing away the herbs on his back. It didn’t even reach his waist.

After placing the clean clothes on the shore, Sha Yi waded in as well. The water quickly rose past her waist, its coolness seeping into her torso.

Working with the shallow depth, Sha Yi helped him remove the bloodstained robe and used its thin straps to wipe away the dried blood. At first, he cooperated as she cleaned his back, but when she moved to his front, his hands began wandering. Though annoyed by his restlessness despite his injuries, she worried that resisting might reopen his wounds or splash water onto them, so she reluctantly let him have his way.

Eventually, he wrapped his arms around her and refused to let go. As a result, the freshly cleaned front of his body was smeared with blood from her clothes again.

Frustrated, she glared at him, but he only held her tighter and murmured, “Sha Yi, you once said childbirth isn’t as terrifying as people think, right? And not every woman faces death when giving birth, right?”

Surprised by the sudden shift in topic, she nodded honestly.

Unexpectedly, his grip tightened. “The rainy season is almost over. I want a child. Would you… be willing to give me one?”

Sha Yi froze.

To her, his expression didn’t seem like that of a man yearning for a child—it was more like a herbivorous cat suddenly spotting a fish!

When she didn’t respond, Xi Yi grew nervous. Peeking over her shoulder, he asked hesitantly, “Have you… changed your mind?”

Sha Yi was speechless.

His shoulders slumped, and he stole a guilty glance at her. “I… I just…”

“Hmm?” Amused, she tilted her head to meet his eyes.

“I’ve been thinking about this for a long time,” he admitted, scratching his head uneasily. “I feel like… if we had a child, you’d stay with me forever…”

That heartbreaking insecurity of his resurfaced again.

Whenever other men appeared around them—regardless of their relationship or how things seemed—even if he knew the truth, he still worried. From the beginning until now, even after she’d come to understand his overwhelming fear of abandonment, he remained terrified she might leave him.

Perhaps it stemmed from his lonely childhood, or the careless way Xigu and Ximang had raised him. Maybe after Xigu and Marui had Masai, their focus shifted, and Ximang’s rough demeanor left a void in his heart where tenderness should have been.

Orphaned early and constantly displaced, Xi Yi had grown deeply sensitive. He might have yearned for a woman who belonged entirely to him—someone to share his life, to care for and be cared by.

But in this ancient era, women were scarce.

Since arriving here, she’d seen few women, and most were far from “gentle.” Take Xigu, for example—the epitome of strength, hardly a model of softness.

Finding a woman was hard enough, and their group’s customs added another layer. He likely wanted someone gentle—someone like her, who’d stumbled into his life as if destined.

By his own admission, he’d fallen for her at first sight. Compared to the formidable women around, she seemed soft and delicate to him, despite her occasional outbursts. He’d refused to let her go, using every tactic—soft and hard—until he’d won her over.

In the end, he succeeded. He’d not only claimed her but also her heart.

But looking back, perhaps she was the lucky one.

Though she’d lost her modern comforts, her family, and been thrust into this perilous world, she’d found Xi Yi.

He cherished her, spoiled her, indulged her every whim, and embraced all of her. He was willing to give everything—even his life—for her. A man like that was rare even in modern times.

Despite the vast gap between their eras, love knew no bounds. If time travel was possible, then a love spanning millennia made sense.

But his naive belief that a child would bind her to him? She couldn’t agree.

This wasn’t feudal times—it was the primal ancient era.

Here, a woman could belong to multiple men, and children changed little. Even with a child, she could still leave, taking the child with her. Another man would gladly accept them.

His hands fidgeted nervously. “Are you saying your heart…”

Before he could finish, Sha Yi burst out laughing, standing on tiptoe to loop her arms around his neck. “Xi Yi, why are you always so gullible? You believe everything I say!”

It took him a moment to realize she’d teased him again. His rough hands settled on her waist, squeezing in playful punishment.

Sha Yi squirmed, half-laughing, half-protesting, but he bent slightly and pulled her tightly against him.

After a long pause, his low voice murmured in her ear, “I’ll believe anything you say.”

The raw sincerity in his words struck her deeply. It wasn’t flowery or reassuring—just pure, unfiltered truth.

After a quiet moment, she rested her hands on his broad shoulders and whispered, “Xi Yi, we’ll have a child. And I’ll stay with you—no conditions needed.”

The moment the words left her lips, she felt him tremble, as if stunned by disbelief or overwhelmed with joy. He didn’t speak for a long while.

Curious, Sha Yi tried to pull back to see his face, but before she could, he crushed her against him with all his strength.

Resigned, she didn’t fight it.

Their moment was short-lived, though. A gruff voice soon interrupted from the shore: “If you two keep hugging in that water, I’ll throw that cub in with you!”

The crude remark could only belong to Jialuo.

Sha Yi ignored him, patting Xi Yi’s shoulder. “Let’s finish cleaning up and get out. You’re injured—cold water isn’t good for your wounds.”

Their earlier emotional exchange had smoothed things over. With his insecurity soothed, Xi Yi complied easily, wading ashore after a quick rinse.

Sha Yi stayed behind to wash the blood from her own clothes. The fresh stains, still damp, came off easily, especially against the red fabric. But the light-colored robe, with its absorbent texture, proved stubborn. No matter how hard she scrubbed, faint pink traces remained.

Just then, a bundled clump of leaves landed with a plop beside her. Unfolding it, she realized they were soap leaves.

Assuming Xi Yi had tossed them, she turned—only to find him staring at Jialuo with a strange expression. Jialuo, equally tense, abruptly stood and stormed off without a word.

Sha Yi rolled her eyes and resumed washing. With the soap leaves, the remaining stains vanished quickly. Soon after, she and Xi Yi returned hand in hand to where the giant-toothed eagles perched.

Under the tree, Tuge rested with closed eyes, while Jialuo was nowhere in sight. Neither of them dwelled on it.

Xi Yi’s injuries prevented him from climbing, so Sha Yi abandoned the tree as well, spreading a large hide on the ground instead. They left their belongings strapped to the eagles—minimizing potential losses if disaster struck. Though uncomfortable for the birds, their immense strength made the load negligible.

Xi Yi planned to rest before skinning the saber-toothed tiger. With Jialuo absent, moving the massive carcass was impossible, leaving the poor eagle stuck beneath it, claws still propping up the beast.

Darkness fell swiftly.

Exhausted, Sha Yi curled up beside Xi Yi, clutching the dire wolf cub, and drifted off.

…

In the dead of night, a violent tremor jolted her awake. The ground shook as if splitting apart—Xi Yi, Jialuo, and Tuge all stirred, disoriented.

Sha Yi’s grogginess vanished in an instant.

Volcanic eruption.

No sooner had the thought formed than a fiery glow erupted in the distance, lighting up the gloomy sky like a blazing pillar.

Sha Yi shot to her feet.

Luckily, the trees near the lake were sparse, offering a partial view. Jialuo scrambled up a tree, gaping at the terrifying spectacle.

Unable to climb, Xi Yi grabbed his bow and led her toward the forest’s edge. When they reached the open riverbank, the full horror became clear.

The eruption’s epicenter was their starting point. Though distant, their elevated position offered a clear view of the molten rivers expanding rapidly.

This wasn’t a gentle eruption—it was explosive, spewing ash and debris in relentless waves.

The destruction was absolute.

Sha Yi guessed the volcano would culminate in a catastrophic explosion, obliterating everything—their old caves, the downstream forests—everything.

Worse, the area held vast oil deposits. If lava reached them, the resulting inferno would be unstoppable.

As dread settled in, Xi Yi’s grip on her hand tightened. She glanced up to find his face drawn with worry.

She understood instantly—he was thinking of Xigu and the others.

Since their separation at the river, she hadn’t known their whereabouts. With Xi Yi’s injuries consuming her thoughts, she’d forgotten to consider their fate.

Before the eruption, they’d been better off. Now, their survival was uncertain. Even Sainah, whom she’d seen that morning—her anger had blinded her to the danger he faced.

Their dwelling, on the same mountain, was too close. This eruption spelled tragedy.

As for the old cave’s inhabitants—those who’d failed to flee the floods—their chances were even slimmer. But Sha Yi felt no pity for them.

Call her heartless, but she’d long since abandoned hope or sympathy for that group.

Now, like Xi Yi, she could only pray Xigu and the others escaped unscathed.