As for Tuge, he was completely clueless. He thought Xi Yi was rejecting him, especially when she waved her arms to shoo him away. He was furious, but she found it amusing. However, in the end, her uncontrollable vomiting drained her of the energy to laugh.
Her symptoms seemed different from others—coming in waves. That day, she had been fine before dinner, but now she was restless and unsettled.
Xi Yi stayed by her side anxiously for most of the night until she gradually calmed down.
It was then that Xigu and Masa, who had disappeared after dinner, arrived with her stainless steel basin.
Sha Yi didn’t understand what they intended to do, and neither did Xi Yi. However, upon seeing the basin, he likely assumed it contained meat broth and immediately blocked Xigu’s path. Beyond that, he didn’t take any further action to stop her, though he seemed visibly conflicted.
Seeing that he wouldn’t act further, Xigu snorted dismissively, stepped around him, and placed the basin of broth beside the makeshift bed. She then took the wooden bowl-like container from Masa and began ladling the broth for Sha Yi.
It was a pale yellow broth, cooked with edible plants that had been finely chopped—far more refined than the usual meat stew. The color looked fresh and appetizing, and surprisingly, it didn’t trigger her nausea. Instead, it made her mouth water.
But she couldn’t quite figure out what it was.
When Xigu handed her a full bowl, Sha Yi noticed that the broth contained not just one type of plant but also finely chopped brown mushrooms. Stirring it, she even spotted small pink chunks that resembled meat but didn’t quite look like it upon closer inspection.
Unable to resist, she looked up at Xigu, who simply waved her hand dismissively and said bluntly, “Eat!”
Sha Yi suddenly recalled Xi Yi’s earlier actions and understood.
He must have been worried that Xigu would bring her meat broth. Given how she had been vomiting at the sight of meat all evening, he was uneasy and wanted to stop Xigu just as he had stopped Tuge. But when he saw the unusual contents of the stainless steel basin, he hesitated.
On one hand, he desperately wanted her to eat something. On the other, he feared it might trigger another round of vomiting.
Yet, in the end, he had no solution and couldn’t stand up to Xigu’s stubbornness, so he let it go.
Fortunately, she showed no signs of discomfort, and he finally allowed himself a relieved smile.
Looking at the tall siblings, Sha Yi felt warmth in her heart. The delicious aroma of the broth grew stronger, and she couldn’t resist taking a sip.
Xigu had added a small amount of salt to the broth—just enough to enhance the flavor.
The broth tasted wonderful, fragrant and mild yet flavorful. Most importantly, her stomach didn’t reject it.
The edible plants in the broth were tender, as were the mushrooms and the pink, meat-like chunks. Though she couldn’t identify them by sight, they tasted remarkably like shrimp—smooth, sweet, and delicate.
She finished the entire bowl and looked up at Xigu again, who immediately understood her unspoken question and nodded quickly. “Yes, it’s shrimp—the kind you gave us before. But the way it’s cooked today is a bit different, though it looks similar.”
Hearing this, Xi Yi quickly moved closer, seemingly curious.
But Xigu didn’t spare him any courtesy, swatting him away with a warning: “If you’re hungry, go outside and find something roasted. This is for Sha Yi—none for you.”
Xi Yi sighed in defeat but stayed put, making no move to leave.
Masa, however, nodded solemnly in agreement with her mother. “These shrimp were hard to find. I’ve been catching them since after dinner. It’s not completely dark outside, but there are so few shrimp here—barely any. If they hadn’t been moving slowly underwater, I might not have found them at all. Plus, the water was cold.”
Sha Yi was stunned.
Xigu and Masa had gone out at night to catch shrimp for her? And they’d succeeded?
The weather was already quite cold. In modern times, shrimp typically hibernate at around ten degrees Celsius. Given that the current temperature was much lower, unless prehistoric shrimp had different habits, this sudden drop must have disrupted their usual behavior.
Regardless, this was a gesture of care from Xigu and Masa, and Sha Yi felt another wave of warmth.
At this moment, all she felt was gratitude.
Xi Yi, standing behind them, smacked his forehead and sighed in frustration. “Why didn’t I think of that earlier?”
Sha Yi couldn’t help but laugh, but before she could speak, Xi Yi perked up again. “How about I go catch shrimp tomorrow? You like shrimp and mushrooms, right?”
“No, don’t. There are plenty of shrimp in summer, but they’re scarce now. Catching any is just luck. Besides, the water’s too cold—you might freeze.” This time, Sha Yi couldn’t hold back her laughter. “Masa, you shouldn’t go either.”
Her stomach was truly peculiar. Even if pregnancy was the cause, this level of pickiness was extreme, making everyone run around for her—even in the dead of winter, catching shrimp for her was ridiculous!
She didn’t want these two to fall ill because of her whims.
Moreover, there were other pressing matters that couldn’t be ignored.
Thinking this, she added, “Don’t go to such lengths for me. I’ll try to adjust my condition. Especially these days, don’t focus too much on me—there are other things to consider.”
Xigu nodded quickly in understanding but disagreed with her request. “This is your first child—you need extra care. We want you to be well.”
Xi Yi and Masa nodded in unison.
Sha Yi was speechless. Since the three of them insisted, she didn’t argue further. Instead, she took advantage of her improved appetite and drank as much broth as she could.
For the baby’s nutrition and her own health, she needed to replenish her body’s resources. Later, she’d also have to adjust to the prehistoric diet of roasted meat.
After finishing about a third of the broth, Sha Yi felt full and stopped. Xigu took the remaining broth away, promising to bring more the next day before leaving with Masa, leaving Xi Yi to stay with her.
Still worried, Xi Yi chose to go hungry rather than leave her side. He didn’t even bring in roasted meat to eat. In the end, he lay down beside her on an empty stomach.
Now that her pregnancy was confirmed, he no longer touched her as he had over the past month. Instead, he reverted to his behavior before the rainy season ended—simply holding her, occasionally stealing a light caress but nothing more.
Compared to her appetite, Sha Yi’s sleep was sound. She drifted off quickly but was soon awakened by strange noises.
As she stirred, Xi Yi also woke, tightening his embrace and signaling for silence. Sha Yi complied, listening intently to the sounds outside.
There were odd noises beyond the house—intermittent and faint.
But it wasn’t the wind. Moreover, they had lived here for a long time without encountering any large predators. The herbivorous animals stayed far away, making this seem almost… human.
If so… could it be Yeli’s people launching a surprise attack?
Though suspicious, she doubted it.
Most people might attempt such a thing, but after the afternoon’s roundabout negotiations and scheming, she didn’t think Yeli would.
After all, while she had learned of Yeli’s cunning, he must have also sensed her caution. Even if her thoughts weren’t airtight, she had been careful.
Besides, Yeli had made his stance clear. She couldn’t ignore his words, and he wouldn’t risk acting so soon.
Given their unusual dwelling and advanced weapons, recklessness could mean annihilation for his group. Yeli wouldn’t—and couldn’t—take that risk.
So… who was outside?
As her thoughts raced, the window of their brick house rattled again.
This sound was far more conspicuous than the earlier ones. One side of their window was fixed in place—someone unfamiliar with its mechanism wouldn’t be able to twist it open. Instead, pushing or pulling would only create noise.
Listening carefully for other sounds, Sha Yi realized that aside from the wind, the outside had fallen silent again.
Even the strange noises at the window had ceased.
Sha Yi’s mind cleared slightly.
It seemed the person outside was likely alone—and probably the long-missing Jialuo!
Still, she disliked his bad habits.
After all this time, he was still sneaking around eavesdropping, just like before. This was their shared living space now—there was no need for such secrecy.
Just as she thought this, the window creaked again, followed by a series of knocks.
Sha Yi was almost certain it was Jialuo. He must have something to discuss, but his sneaky approach was hard to approve of!
Xi Yi, however, sat up abruptly at the sound. Recognizing the knocking, he quickly got off the bed.
She tugged at him, trying to signal something, and he nodded immediately to show he understood.
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