Chapter 175: The Unlucky Duo

Sha Yi was awakened by a torrent of angry muttering.

The early morning sky was still far from pleasant. Though the previous day had been somewhat hazy, the sun had peeked through by noon. Now, however, it was different. Even inside the stone cave, peering through the gaps between the boulders blocking the entrance, the weather outside seemed gloomier than the day before.

Because of this, Sha Yi grew increasingly certain that the rainy season would end with one last heavy downpour.

Beside her, Xi Yi was still fast asleep.

As always, he liked to sleep while holding her.

But now, with the severe injuries on his back, lying flat was impossible for him. He could only half-turn, half-pressing against her.

He was heavy, and Sha Yi felt half of her body going numb under his weight.

Yet, she couldn’t bring herself to push him away.

She had never seen him sprawl out carelessly in his sleep.

From the moment they met until now, he had always slept curled around her, either fully or partially on his side. She wondered if it was because of her presence in his life—she had hardly ever seen him lie completely flat.

In modern times, this would have been considered a sign of deep insecurity.

But now, she was likely the source of all his security.

Unable to bear the thought, Sha Yi instinctively reached out to caress his face.

It had been a long time since she last shaved his stubble. During their last trade with Jialuo, she had noticed his beard had already started growing back. Now, it seemed even longer.

And his slightly curly hair—when they first met in the marshlands, it had barely reached his neck. Now, it had grown past his shoulders.

Just like her own hair. In modern times, her hair had only reached her back. Now, it was waist-length. She could hardly remember exactly how long she had been here.

After enduring so many hardships, she had finally survived her first rainy season. Though the time might not have been that long, it felt like a century had passed—enough for her hair to grow so much.

Before, she had always tied her hair up and tucked it away, only letting it down later. By the time she noticed, the entire rainy season had already passed.

Her hair was still as thick, straight, and silky as ever, but looking at it now, she felt a strange unfamiliarity.

Aside from washing it, how long had it been since she had properly cared for her hair?

Including herself—this ancient era had no skincare products. Even though she had naturally good skin, she couldn’t be entirely sure she still looked the same as before.

Life here was harsh and full of suffering. Few women could endure the toil. Take Xigu, for example—she was already showing signs of aging. Sha Yi might have been better off than Xigu, partly because she hadn’t been here long, and partly because Xi Yi rarely let her do any hard labor.

Still, she couldn’t help but worry.

As long as they lived exposed to the elements, the marks of time would carve into them relentlessly. Coming from the modern world, she naturally fretted over her appearance.

But without a mirror, she couldn’t even see what she looked like.

In the end, with no answers, Sha Yi sighed helplessly.

Just then, Xi Yi woke up, immediately sensing her distress. He pulled her closer, his voice rough with sleep but full of tenderness. “Why the sigh?”

“Xi Yi.” She rolled over, nestling into the space between his arms, her voice tinged with melancholy. “Do I look uglier now?”

He chuckled but couldn’t ignore her troubled expression. Leaning in, he whispered, “You’re still the same as when I first saw you—the way I like you. But…”

He paused, deliberately drawing out the suspense.

Sha Yi grew impatient. “But what?”

“You’ve gotten thinner.” He laughed again, pinching her waist lightly with a sigh. “It’s my fault for not feeding you well. You eat so little every time—I don’t even know what you like.”

“So you prefer plump women.” Pressing against his chest, Sha Yi suddenly found it amusing. “Where I come from, I was already considered plump. Men there like thinner women. Someone like me—people would think I’m too fat, no one would like me.”

“Is that why you always eat so little?” His strong arms wrapped around her slender waist, his voice full of concern. “I don’t think you’re fat at all. If anything, you’re much thinner than the women here. You need to eat more, or I’ll worry.”

“If you don’t mind me getting fat, then I’ll eat as much as I want.” Sha Yi grinned.

“I’d be thrilled if you ate more.” He kissed the top of her head, his adoration clear. “If you stay this thin, I’ll be worried about how you’ll handle childbirth later…”

It was a blunt, somewhat crude remark. Sha Yi flushed red and instinctively punched his chest, but he caught her hand, sighing regretfully. “Sha Yi, I really want to—”

“Not now.” She quickly cut him off, struggling to push away his other hand, which was wandering over her waist. “Your injuries aren’t healed yet. You can’t do anything like that…”

“I can!” he protested, sounding aggrieved. “If you don’t believe me, just try—”

“Xi Yi!” She gritted her teeth, furious. “If you tear your wounds open again, don’t even think about touching me for the rest of your life!”

The threat worked instantly. He froze, though his expression remained reluctant.

At that moment, angry shouts mixed with faint wails echoed from outside the cave again.

A strange feeling crept into Sha Yi’s heart, and eager to escape the awkwardness with Xi Yi, she quickly got up.

Xi Yi frowned but said nothing, simply rising as well to help move the boulders blocking the entrance.

Outside, the two men who had slept there the previous night were now hopping around frantically at the cave’s mouth.

Before Sha Yi could speak, Tuge rushed over, wailing dramatically. “Sha Yi, how could you do this to us? There are so many giant bugs out here! Look what they’ve done to us!”

Glancing down, Sha Yi immediately spotted two swollen red bumps on Tuge’s face—one on his eyelid, the other on the tip of his nose. Paired with his tear-streaked, wrinkled face, the sight was almost comical.

Nearby, Jialuo was still jumping around, cursing while swatting at a few enormous flying insects circling him.

Those were… the giant mosquitoes she had seen in the forest where she first met Xi Yi!

Back then, those mosquitoes had only appeared once before vanishing. After a whole rainy season without them, their sudden reappearance made her uneasy.

Xi Yi, however, remained calm. “They’re giant mosquitoes. Don’t you have these where you’re from?”

“Of course not!” Tuge wailed, frantic. “We’ve never seen anything like this before!”

“Then stop standing around and go find some mosquito-repelling leaves.” Shaking his head, Xi Yi had no choice but to search for the mosquitoes’ natural enemy.

Watching the tall, muscular man dart around, his forehead already sporting a massive mosquito bite, Sha Yi almost wished the insects had bitten him harder. She had no intention of helping him find the repellent leaves.

But if the mosquitoes could attack Jialuo and Tuge, they could attack her and Xi Yi too. Considering they would likely be the only ones living here afterward, Sha Yi reluctantly followed Xi Yi.

She hadn’t known these pests existed here until now. At least Jialuo and Tuge’s suffering served as a warning.

Those giant mosquitoes were deadly. The last time she was bitten, the pain had been unbearable. Luckily, Xi Yi had quickly found some medicinal grass to soothe it—otherwise, she couldn’t imagine the consequences.

After all, she wasn’t Xi Yi. She had never encountered mosquitoes like these before. But even the natives of this ancient era, who were used to such bites, went to great lengths to find remedies. That alone proved the mosquitoes were venomous—not to mention their size, which rivaled pigeons!

Still, she had questions. Catching up to Xi Yi, she couldn’t help but ask.

Xi Yi answered plainly, and Sha Yi soon understood everything.

According to him, mosquitoes couldn’t survive the rainy season. They burrowed underground to wait it out, emerging only afterward. But when winter came, they died.

Giant mosquitoes had short lifespans, active only between late summer and early rainy season, and late rainy season and early winter.

The terrifying part was their venom. If the bite wasn’t treated with the root of a plant called Zhi during the initial pain, the ensuing itch could lead to days of paralysis—a death sentence.

Victims either died from repeated bites, were picked off by predators, or starved to death.

The only silver lining was that the pain lasted about a day—the critical window to find Zhi before the symptoms worsened.

Looking back, those mosquitoes were horrifying. At first, she hadn’t taken them seriously, only noting their terrifying size and agonizing bites. She had no idea their venom was so deadly. Thank goodness Xi Yi had been with her.

Even though they couldn’t communicate then, and it had been a perilous night, he had risked everything to get her that remedy. Thinking about it now, he must have already been devoted to her back then.

As for the mosquito-repelling leaves—they came from a plant called Jiao. Giant mosquitoes often rested under them, especially in late summer when the sun was scorching. Ironically, though, the sap of Jiao leaves repelled mosquitoes, and the smoke from burning them could stun or kill the insects.

Such was the balance of nature.

She didn’t fully understand why, but perhaps it was one of nature’s miracles. In this primitive era, with its harsh conditions, such natural remedies were a blessing.

Otherwise, those mosquitoes alone would be lethal. They were numerous, hard to fend off, and could easily ambush anyone.

Xi Yi quickly found plenty of Jiao leaves growing behind tall trees. They weren’t hard to locate. Zhi grass, however, was trickier.

From Xi Yi’s expression, he wasn’t entirely sure if any grew here.

Tuge was frantic—not for himself, but for Jialuo.

Despite their constant bickering and pranks, their solidarity in critical moments was astonishing.

From their earlier interactions, Sha Yi suspected Jialuo’s group might already be developing a tribal or chieftain system—or at least the seeds of one.

She had noticed hints before, like Manlun’s reluctant, almost resentful attitude toward Jialuo.

They likely lived together first, then gradually formed an early tribal structure.

Xi Yi’s group was similar, but their conditions weren’t as developed. They only gathered in the snake-proof, lightning-safe cave during the rainy season. Once floods receded or the season ended, they scattered again—a major drawback.