When she finished kissing him and was about to let go, he almost immediately stopped her from leaving. With a long arm, he wrapped it around her waist. In her daze, he quickly lowered his head and kissed her back, then closed his eyes, waiting for her to deal with him.
Sha Yi couldn’t help but laugh and reached out to gently stroke his face.
It was a strange feeling. In the past, when he took liberties with her, she always felt exasperated and wanted to slap him. Even when she wasn’t so resistant, she still wanted to push him away. But this time was different—she unexpectedly felt reluctant to push him away, and a hidden sweetness bubbled in her heart.
She couldn’t quite describe the feeling. All she knew was that she was gradually becoming dependent on him. This sense of dependence slowly seeped into every part of her, making her feel like she couldn’t live without him. And indeed, she was starting to truly need him.
But all good things were fleeting.
After a faint splash of water, that hideously fat bird suddenly reappeared. Just as the two were locked in an intimate embrace, it began to ruin the moment with its loud squawking, even striking a ridiculous “charge” pose.
Staring at that bald, ugly bird, Sha Yi couldn’t find the words to describe her current mood. Xi Yi, who was holding her, was furious. He carried her into the bathtub, then grabbed a thin vine and stormed toward the bird.
The ugly bird was still gathering momentum in place when Xi Yi effortlessly snatched it up. With a few quick loops of the vine, he tied its head and neck to its body, turning it into a spherical lump.
Sha Yi nearly laughed herself silly, but Xi Yi still wasn’t satisfied. Glancing at the dark river, he flung the bird into the water.
This move was practically a death sentence for the bird. As long as the vine remained tied, it couldn’t resist or cause any more trouble. Yet it wasn’t completely defeated—even in the water, it could flatten itself and float. Unfortunately, the riverbank was slightly higher than the water’s surface, so it could only bounce back and forth between the shore and the center like a bumper boat.
Sha Yi was thoroughly amused by its stupidity, while Xi Yi looked much more sullen. Clearly, he still wanted to cuddle with her, but her attention had shifted to the bird. He had no choice but to give up on his desires. Finally, he pointed at the bouncing idiot in the river with a disgusted expression and muttered, “Pankuo, na kentuo xi, pankuo!”
Sha Yi didn’t understand, but judging by Xi Yi’s expression, he must have been cursing the ugly bird. The word “pankuo” sounded a bit like the bird’s squawking, which piqued her curiosity. She pointed at the bird and asked, “Pankuo?”
Xi Yi nodded firmly and repeated, “Pankuo!”
So that was its name. It seemed even ancient people named things based on sounds!
Seeing her amusement, Xi Yi relaxed and went back to preparing the food. Sha Yi wanted to help, but he flatly refused, seemingly worried she’d tire herself out or hurt her leg. She thought he was overreacting, but he stubbornly insisted, so she had no choice but to sit back in the bathtub and watch the bobbing bird to pass the time.
Before long, Xi Yi had cooked the shrimp she’d placed in the basin. Though he didn’t approve or understand why she wanted to eat shrimp, he still handed the basin to her and then began roasting the rat-like creature.
The cooked shrimp smelled delicious. Sha Yi peeled one and took a bite—it tasted quite good, though bland without seasoning or oil. Still, the shrimp meat was tender and fresh. If only she could fry it and sprinkle some of that spicy fruit powder, the flavor would be amazing.
By the time Sha Yi slowly finished one shrimp, Xi Yi was still roasting the meat. It seemed harder to cook than rabbit meat, but the aroma was incredibly rich—even more fragrant than their usual rabbit meat.
But it was rat meat. Even if it wasn’t a rat, it was definitely a close relative. The thought alone made Sha Yi’s skin crawl. Yet she was also curious—Xi Yi couldn’t comprehend her desire to eat shrimp. Did his view on shrimp mirror her disgust toward eating rats?
With this in mind, she perked up and smugly carried the stainless steel basin over to Xi Yi, picking out the largest shrimp and offering it to him.
Xi Yi was delighted by her affectionate gesture, but the shrimp left him baffled. After hesitating for a long time, he finally took it. However, he had no idea how to eat it. He gave it a symbolic squeeze, his face a mix of disgust and conflict. He probably wanted to throw away this “monster,” but seeing her expectant look, he held back. Then, to her utter shock, he shoved the entire shrimp—shell, head, and all—into his mouth.
And then… he chewed twice with visible suffering before forcing it down.
Sha Yi was utterly dumbfounded.
Now she understood why Xi Yi was so against eating shrimp—he just swallowed it whole!
Seeing her stunned expression, Xi Yi, unsure what was wrong, offered her a strained, awkward smile, looking rather silly.
Watching him, Sha Yi felt her own lips twitch. Unable to resist teasing him, she asked, “Xihan na?”
“Xihan… wei xihan!” Xi Yi eagerly jumped in, emphasizing, “Na xihan!” His Adam’s apple bobbed violently—clearly, he hadn’t fully swallowed the shrimp yet.
His habit of blindly indulging her, even at his own expense, left her torn between laughter and heartache. Seeing him struggle to swallow, she suddenly felt her eyes sting.
He spoiled her in every way, treating her as his absolute priority. Whatever she said, he obeyed—except when it came to leaving. She could do almost anything she wanted in his eyes, yet what had she ever done for him?
She felt like crying. Sensing her shift in mood, Xi Yi tensed again, hastily abandoning the roasting meat to reach for her face in an attempt to comfort her. But his clumsiness only made things worse, and he eventually froze, staring at her helplessly.
Sha Yi couldn’t help but laugh. Relieved, Xi Yi pulled her into an embrace. She smiled softly and leaned against his chest. After a moment, she wrapped her arms around his waist.
Xi Yi stiffened briefly, unused to her initiative, but quickly relaxed and instinctively held her tighter. His mood was clearly lifting—she could feel his joy.
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