However, this time, though he still reached his hand to her waist, he gently lifted her and placed her softly into the bathtub, finally brushing aside the strands of hair on her forehead.
His actions were completely out of character, catching Sha Yi off guard. She was so shocked that her eyes nearly popped out of her head.
Glancing at the setting sun, Xi Yi suppressed his teasing smile and pushed the bathtub carrying her a bit further into the water.
Without the earlier playfulness, the bathtub remained steady even as it drifted from the shore. Sha Yi leaned slightly to check the outer edge—the bathtub wasn’t submerged too deeply. She waved at Xi Yi.
Instantly understanding her intention, Xi Yi didn’t hesitate. He stretched out his arms and climbed in from the side near the shore.
As he exerted force, Sha Yi immediately felt the entire bathtub swaying violently again. By the time he fully climbed in, the other end of the bathtub began tilting upward. Sha Yi quickly grabbed the pile of items and scrambled to the opposite side.
Once they both settled, the bathtub’s violent rocking subsided into a gentle sway. Sha Yi noticed the bathtub had sunk considerably, but the distance between the edge and the water’s surface was still ample, especially with the lotus-leaf-like rim that provided extra buoyancy.
Sha Yi pondered—given Xi Yi’s muscular build and his height of around two meters, his weight had to be at least 220 pounds!
Fortunately, it was still within the bathtub’s capacity. But relying on it for long-term river crossings was out of the question. Sha Yi considered suggesting Xi Yi build a small boat. The rainy season was approaching, yet he seemed utterly clueless about objects that could float on water.
Perhaps their civilization hadn’t yet evolved to the concept of boats.
Xi Yi had already begun paddling the water with his arms. Though instinctive, the effect was minimal. Sha Yi handed him the stainless steel basin.
Without needing instruction, he took it, glanced at it briefly, and naturally started using it to paddle.
Soon, the bathtub began rocking erratically again, but Xi Yi’s manual dexterity was remarkable. Before long, the rocking slowed, and their forward speed increased significantly.
By the time they reached the opposite shore, the sky had grown even darker.
Now, Xi Yi seemed slightly anxious. As soon as the bathtub neared the shore, he leaped out. In the next moment, he effortlessly lifted the bathtub—with her still inside—straight out of the water and onto the bank.
Sha Yi was utterly astonished, but he paid no attention to her expression. Letting go, he immediately began gathering branches and twigs from the ground, as if determined to prepare everything needed for the evening while the last rays of sunset lingered.
Xi Yi busied himself collecting items, moving far away in a short time. Normally, he would have signaled to her, but today he was so focused he even forgot that.
She guessed he wanted to secure dinner early. Perhaps there were dangers in this area unknown to her but well-known to him, which explained his urgency.
Sha Yi left him to it, sitting quietly in the bathtub as she waited. After a long while, she suddenly remembered the three ugly bird hatchlings they had brought from the small lake the previous afternoon. A full day and night had passed, and the three had been tucked away in a corner of the bathtub’s contents. She hadn’t heard a single peep from them—were they suffocated?
Quickly digging through the pile, Sha Yi found the three ugly hatchlings lying limp on her clothes, motionless but still warm. Clearly, they were alive—but could a concussion from hitting rocks last this long? And going a full day without food—was that even possible for birds?
Primate intelligence hadn’t evolved to such extremes. Could an ancient bird species really be this cunning?
Sha Yi was baffled.
She poked the birds a few times, but none reacted.
Just as she was about to try again, a familiar, grating squawk interrupted her. She looked up to see a bald, spherical bird charging toward her.
It was the ugly bird!
Sha Yi was startled. From a distance, she saw it suddenly retract its neck, lifting its massive beak—how had it even tracked them here? But its aggressive stance made her uneasy.
She initially thought to stand and escape its attack range, but after gauging its trajectory, she calmly smoothed her skirt and sat back down.
Then came a loud *thud*—the ugly bird had crashed straight into the side of the bathtub.
Just as expected.
At this moment, Sha Yi’s feelings were complicated.
She had seen ugly creatures before, but never one this hideous. And this one wasn’t just ugly—it was downright stupid. Its appearance was hard to stomach, but at the very least, it could have had some redeeming qualities. Instead, even its intelligence was lacking.
This had to be a mistake by the Creator…
Before she could dwell on it, rapid *thumping* sounds erupted from the bathtub’s edge. Sha Yi looked over to see the ugly bird furiously ramming into the tub, seemingly determined to break through.
But as the saying goes, even if the bathtub wasn’t as hard as stone, it was more than a match for a bird’s skull.
The bird’s efforts were, to put it kindly, futile—or bluntly, utterly pointless.
Just when she thought it would bash its brains out, it suddenly changed tactics—perhaps its head hurt from all the collisions. It began jumping instead, using its stubby, poorly-adapted legs to hop with a height barely half its own head.
Sha Yi didn’t actually enjoy tormenting animals, but this particular bird had already earned her disdain. The first time Xi Yi raided its nest, he found objects only humans would possess—like bone needles. Shaping animal bones into needles was no easy feat, let alone drilling holes through them. Ancient humans would never discard such items, so their presence in its nest could only mean one thing—it was a thief.
Thus, in her mind, it was already branded a villain. She had no intention of returning its hatchlings. Besides, watching it struggle in such a ridiculous manner was oddly entertaining. Since arriving in this ancient era, her life had been either perilous or monotonous, devoid of any amusement.
Now, after a few more feeble jumps, the ugly bird was completely exhausted. It weakly lifted its drooping head and let out two hoarse squawks at her.
Sha Yi leaned over the bathtub’s edge, staring down at it. The bird seemed resigned. After a moment, it waddled away, its plump spherical body swaying.
Inside the bathtub, the drowsy marmoset-like creature beside the animal hide was roused by the commotion. It blinked its glowing round eyes at Sha Yi before tucking its head back down and falling asleep again.
This tiny, hamster-sized creature seemed to wake only at dusk, growing particularly alert when snakes were near. Its current state reassured her about their surroundings. Sha Yi couldn’t resist stroking its soft little body.
Just then, a crisp *plop* sounded from the water.
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