While she was still pondering, Xi Yi quickly embraced her and pulled her aside. Sha Yi snapped out of her thoughts and saw Xigu and Mary also stepping in from the rain curtain. Not just them—over a dozen others were filing into the cave, some familiar, some not. The situation felt unusual.
Among the crowd, aside from Xi Yi’s group, there were several from Saina’s side. After entering, they instinctively gathered around Saina, while the remaining two shorter men, four women, and a little girl stood hesitantly near the cave entrance, unsure of what to do.
Sha Yi couldn’t make sense of the situation and didn’t speak up. She guessed something must have happened.
Beside her, Xi Yi remained still, but it was Saina, lying by the fire, who spoke first. He initially tried to sit up on his own, but after glancing at her, he extended his hand to his companions.
She didn’t understand what he said, but Xi Yi did. He walked over to the hesitant group at the entrance, gestured between the two sides, and made a motion as if letting them choose freely. Then he spoke softly, his tone slightly reassuring.
The group discussed among themselves and soon split into two teams—one man, one woman, and the little girl joined Saina’s side, while the remaining man and three women stood with Xi Yi’s group. It was like a modern-day scenario of new members choosing which team to join.
Xi Yi tacitly accepted their choice and turned to ask Saina by the fire, who also silently agreed without further comment, merely pulling the white fur over himself as if to lie down.
Sha Yi wasn’t sure if Saina did it intentionally or not, but the spot she had bandaged for him just happened to catch Xi Yi’s eye. Immediately after, his companions handed her the toothpaste and soap she had left on the ground.
The novelty of the two items drew everyone’s attention to her. Now, whether she accepted them or not was a dilemma.
If she took them, it would confirm that she had treated his wound, making their relationship seem ambiguous. If she refused, it would look like she was too afraid to admit what she’d done, which might make Xi Yi suspect something—arguably worse than accepting them.
There was definitely deliberate intent here. Whether aimed at Xi Yi or her, Saina was clearly scheming—he wanted to sabotage her relationship with Xi Yi!
Torn between accepting or refusing, Sha Yi felt flustered. She had planned to tell Xi Yi about helping Saina, but now that Saina had deliberately made Xi Yi see it, the effect would likely backfire.
She didn’t think Xi Yi would distrust her over this, but recalling the misunderstandings before arriving at the settlement, she couldn’t help but worry. After all, there had already been two unpleasant encounters between Xi Yi and Saina in her presence—who knew what conflicts had happened before?
At this point, they were practically half-enemies. Even though Xi Yi had shown concern for Saina earlier, his feelings were different from hers. So right now, she couldn’t help but feel tense.
However, she soon realized her worries were unnecessary. While she hesitated, Xi Yi reached out and took the two items for her. Then, with a gentle touch, he led her deeper into the cave, showing no signs of suspicion or blame.
Sha Yi sighed in relief but caught Saina watching her with a faint smirk from where he lay. She immediately scowled, but Saina seemed lost in thought before pulling the fur over his face, hiding completely.
With that, she ignored him and focused on returning to the bathtub.
Xigu and the others followed them back, but Xi Yi paid no attention to the rest. He simply pulled the fur partition separating them from the others and swiftly slipped into the small space. After changing into his fur skirt with practiced ease, he lifted her into the bathtub and pressed her down beneath him.
Sha Yi was startled by his seamless movements, but the darkness obscured most details, sparing her too much embarrassment.
Xi Yi’s body was still cold. Feeling reluctant, she wrapped her arms around him when he pressed against her, hoping to warm him with her body heat. But he wasn’t cooperative—instead, he buried his face in the crook of her neck, kissing her there. His damp, chilly hair brushed against her skin, making her shiver.
He paused for a moment before slowly sliding off her and pulling the fur Xigu had given them earlier over them both.
Just as she thought he’d given up on teasing her, he suddenly yanked away the fur she’d been using to cover herself. Before she could react, he pulled her into his arms. The cold, hard sensation made her tremble again, but this time, he showed no intention of letting go. Instead, his fingers fumbled with the tiny hooks of her bra.
Sha Yi almost laughed, certain he wouldn’t be able to undo them. Yet, to her surprise, he managed effortlessly—within seconds, she felt the straps loosen, and her bra slipped away.
She gaped. Had he accidentally figured it out before and now did it smoothly on purpose?
Before she could dwell on it, his rough hands gently lifted her, and the next moment, she was back in his embrace.
This time, the sensation of her bare chest pressed against his muscular frame sent an odd thrill through her. Only then did Sha Yi belatedly realize a major problem—her bra was completely gone!
Just as she was reeling from being stripped topless, Xi Yi’s rough hand slid beneath her panties from behind. Sha Yi gasped and reflexively grabbed his wrist to stop him—but this only played into his hands.
As she tried to pull away, the gap between them gave Xi Yi the perfect opportunity. He instantly lowered his head, burying his face between her breasts while his other hand roamed freely over her waist.
Sha Yi instinctively tried to push him away, but he only held her tighter, his grip unyielding and almost punishing.
She sensed something off about Xi Yi. He had abandoned his usual gentleness, acting impatient and rough, as if driven by anger—or punishment.
Then she remembered Saina lifting the fur earlier. Xi Yi had seemed understanding at the time, even considerate. But thinking back, his behavior had shifted after taking the soap and toothpaste for her.
From leaving the others behind to dragging her back alone, ignoring everything else to focus on pulling the partition, and now this… His earlier understanding might not have been genuine. Instead, it could have been an emotional outburst.
Moreover, his unusual behavior didn’t stem from suspicion about her and Saina—it seemed more like jealousy, an impulsive reaction to possessiveness.
He had always harbored strong desire for her. Even though nothing had happened between them yet, he acted as if he had already claimed her entirely.
Realizing Xi Yi’s roughness likely came from jealousy rather than distrust, Sha Yi relaxed. His possessiveness even made her heart flutter with sweetness. Despite his rough handling making her uncomfortable, she abandoned her earlier resistance and instead reached up to stroke his damp hair.
Her touch seemed to surprise him. In his daze, his elbow bumped against the edge of the bathtub, drawing a low grunt from him. Sha Yi quickly reached to soothe the spot, but then a small pebble struck the side of the tub.
Both froze. Then Xigu’s voice called out, “Xi Yi!” followed by a few grumbled complaints.
At that, Xi Yi finally stopped completely.
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