Chapter 221: The Strange Woman

After pondering for a while, Sha Yi still couldn’t suppress the urge to take a bath.

However, she planned to wait until Xi Yi finished washing before she did. The idea of bathing together still made her feel shy, and besides, she wanted to avoid getting too close to Xi Yi.

After all, he was a man in his prime, and from the very beginning, he had taken every opportunity to flirt with her!

Just recalling their last time at the hot spring made her want to cover her face in embarrassment.

Fortunately, Xi Yi didn’t force her. He washed himself quietly, occasionally glancing at her with a smile in his eyes. Compared to his usual unrestrained behavior, he seemed much gentler now.

Sha Yi thought it was probably because she was pregnant.

She guessed Xi Gu must have explained a lot to him, which was why, for the past few days, he hadn’t been as handsy with her.

While she was lost in thought, Xi Yi finished washing quickly and stood up.

Snapping back to reality, she immediately grabbed the animal hide he had taken off earlier and handed it to him. But as she turned, she accidentally caught sight of something that made her blush furiously. Too embarrassed to look at his face, she lowered her head and thrust the hide toward him.

Xi Yi burst into laughter but didn’t hesitate to take the clothes from her. After some rustling, he climbed out of the hot spring and sat beside her, wrapping an arm around her.

Only then did Sha Yi dare to look up at him, just in time to see him reaching out to gently stroke her belly. The warmth from his large palm quickly spread through her, making her feel cozy in the cool weather.

However, since she was only a little over a month pregnant, there was no visible change in her belly—not even she could tell, let alone Xi Yi. After rubbing her stomach for a long time with no results, he ended up looking utterly confused.

Sha Yi wanted to laugh, but he spoke first, sounding genuinely puzzled: “Sha Yi… where’s our baby? Why can’t I feel it?”

It was the joke of the century!

Sha Yi couldn’t hold back her laughter. “It’s only been such a short time, and you already expect to feel it? Didn’t Xi Gu tell you how long it takes for a baby to be born?”

“She said it’d probably be by the end of summer. But I remember when she gave birth to Masa, it didn’t take this long. There was still some time left before summer ended back then.” Xi Yi frowned. “Why is yours…?”

He didn’t finish his sentence, just stared at her with his deep, beautiful brown eyes, clearly baffled by why pregnancy durations could differ.

Faced with Xi Yi’s cluelessness about such matters, Sha Yi sighed inwardly.

At first, she had assumed he was just inexperienced when it came to intimacy between men and women. But even though he had primal instincts, he was completely lost when it came to pregnancy and childbirth—it was both amusing and frustrating.

Thankfully, he had always been incredibly attentive to her. During her early pregnancy, when she was dealing with all sorts of discomforts, he took care of her meticulously. As for the duration of pregnancy, both Xi Gu and she agreed it was around ten months.

Deciding to explain it in the simplest way possible, she said, “Xi Yi, a baby needs time to grow. It’s like the fruits you pick—if you pick them before they’re ripe, they won’t taste good. But if you wait until they’ve fully matured, they’ll be delicious.”

It was an easy analogy to understand, so Xi Yi nodded almost immediately.

Sha Yi couldn’t resist teasing him. “So, do you still want the baby to come early, like Xi Gu’s?”

At that, Xi Yi shot her a look—one that was almost sulky.

Seeing him pout like a resentful wife for the first time nearly sent Sha Yi into another fit of laughter. But he quickly regained his composure and pulled her closer.

After a long pause, he finally murmured, “Sha Yi, I’ll take good care of you. I hope our baby is born healthy by the end of summer… not like how Xi Gu had Masa.”

Leaning against his chest, Sha Yi felt a surge of warmth. She reassured him softly, “It will be. Don’t worry.”

With a low hum, he bent down to kiss her. It should have been sweet, but tragedy struck—his wet hair dripped cold water down her neck, making her shiver violently. Thus, Xi Yi’s kiss was foiled.

But that failed kiss reminded Sha Yi that she still needed to wash up. However, with Xi Yi around, she felt too shy. So she made up an excuse, asking him to check if the silk-producing plant they had found while gathering herbs for Jialuo and Tuge was ripe yet.

Xi Yi nodded and left immediately.

The moment he was gone, Sha Yi quickly stripped off her animal hide and summer clothes, slipping into the water.

The hot spring’s temperature was similar to what it had been at the end of the rainy season, though it didn’t feel as scorching now. Still, it was warmer than when she had first tested it, making the soak quite pleasant.

But she didn’t dare linger for too long.

It wasn’t just because of the weather or her pregnancy—more than anything, it was the lingering threat from the night before.

Even though this area was still within their group’s territory, and even though no one was around at the moment, nothing was ever certain.

With that in mind, she sped up her washing.

In no time, she was done. Just as she was about to get out, the rustling of grass reached her ears. Instinctively, she turned toward the sound.

There, standing not far away, was a woman.

She was wrapped simply in a black animal hide, tied at the waist with a thick vine. Her lower body was covered by a hide skirt, similar to what Xi Yi and the others wore in summer—as if she wasn’t bothered by the cold at all.

Her appearance was quite different from the women in their group, especially her skin, which was almost as dark as Jialuo’s people. Her features were bold and striking, and she was about as tall as Xi Gu. Her hair was uneven and unkempt—short and not particularly attractive.

At the moment, the woman was staring at Sha Yi with wide-eyed curiosity. Though there was no malice in her gaze, being scrutinized so intently was still uncomfortable.

Unsure of the woman’s intentions and feeling extremely awkward, Sha Yi froze for a few seconds before shrinking back into the water.

Now, shrouded in the rising steam, the dark-skinned woman standing at a distance could no longer see her clearly. Sha Yi relaxed slightly—until the woman, as straightforward as a man, strode forward until she was right at the edge of the spring, face-to-face with her.

Sha Yi was speechless. But unlike before, when she would have bolted at the first sign of danger, she now stayed put.

No matter what, she had to think of the tiny life growing inside her. So, in this situation, she chose to remain seated, silently facing the woman.

Luckily, the woman didn’t seem hostile—but she also had no sense of boundaries. After a moment’s hesitation, she untied the vine at her waist, stripped off her black hide, and jumped right in.

The splash hit Sha Yi square in the face, but the woman didn’t seem to notice. Instead, she looked delighted, splashing around excitedly.

Afraid of being bumped into but not daring to stop her, Sha Yi retreated to one side of the spring, giving the woman most of the space to play.

This woman was robust, her body heavily muscled—almost on par with the men. Wisely, Sha Yi stayed silent and avoided any conflict. While the woman was occupied, she reached for her clothes by the pool, planning to dress quickly and slip away.

But the moment her fingers brushed the fabric, the dark-skinned woman grabbed her wrist.

She didn’t grip hard enough to hurt, but the strength was enough to prevent Sha Yi from pulling away.

Baffled, Sha Yi turned to look at her—only for the woman to shift her attention again, reaching out with her other hand to stroke Sha Yi’s back. As she did, she clicked her tongue, as if marveling at something.

Sha Yi was beyond bewildered.

What on earth was this woman doing? They were both women, and there had been no argument—so what was the meaning of all this touching?

Yet, no matter how awkward Sha Yi felt, the woman paid no mind. She continued exploring Sha Yi’s back before pressing closer, her hands now roaming Sha Yi’s waist and belly.

This proximity was even more unsettling than the touching. The sensation of the woman’s ample chest pressed against her back sent shivers down Sha Yi’s spine.

Her mind wandered…

She had once pressed against Xi Yi from behind like this. Had he been just as disgusted, covered in goosebumps?

But… Xi Yi was a man. Surely his reaction would be different from hers!

Snapping out of her daze, Sha Yi shuddered and shook her head vigorously. The woman clinging to her spoke up, her voice filled with envy and confusion:

“Why are you so white? And why are you so soft? How is your body so slender and pretty? How did you do it?”

Sha Yi was at a loss.

She truly didn’t understand. In ancient times, people were generally darker and more muscular, and their beauty standards reflected that. Having lived with Xi Yi’s group for so long, she had grown accustomed to seeing everyone this way.

Xi Yi was probably the only exception. He had once said he liked her from the first glance—perhaps because she stood out to him.

As for Saina, he might have been influenced by the scarcity of women in his group. And since he and Xi Yi had some tension, his interest in her might have been more about defiance than genuine attraction.

Jialuo, on the other hand, had outright called her ugly and skinny. His later change in attitude was something she still couldn’t figure out.

But this woman’s words were truly strange—completely different from what most people thought.

Puzzled, Sha Yi asked, “Shouldn’t you think someone like you is more beautiful?”