Seeing her accept the fruits, the man turned back to gather the banana-like leaves.
Sha Yi felt a pang of guilt.
He had carried her on his back for half a day, caught a rabbit, roasted the meat, picked fruits for her, and handled all the trivial tasks without taking a single bite himself. He was still busy.
Glancing at the rabbit meat gradually charring over the fire, Sha Yi set down the leaf full of fruits, took the two large pieces of nearly burnt rabbit meat, evenly coated them with the spicy fruit powder, and picked two plump, juicy fruits. Kneeling slightly, she slowly extended them toward the man.
The man immediately stopped what he was doing and turned to look at her. His brown eyes gleamed brilliantly in the firelight, a hint of surprise hidden in his gaze.
Feeling uneasy under his stare, Sha Yi instinctively tried to withdraw her hand. Unexpectedly, the man swiftly intercepted her and, holding her hand, devoured one piece of rabbit meat in a few bites. When he was about to eat the last piece, he paused, pushed it back toward her instead.
Warmth surged in her heart again. Sha Yi couldn’t help but look up at the man, smiled slightly, then shook her head and gestured that she was full, pushing the meat back to him.
The man seemed doubtful, but she insisted—she truly was stuffed. Back home, her appetite had never been large. If not for extreme hunger, she might not have even finished a third of that rabbit meat. This man, however, was clearly different. She suspected even an entire rabbit might not satisfy him.
Unable to persuade her, the man reluctantly ate the last piece of meat. But as if fearing she’d go hungry, he placed the fruits she had handed him back into her palm. This time, he was adamant.
Sha Yi sighed but ultimately chose to comply, just as he had yielded to her earlier. She picked a smaller fruit and took a tiny bite.
Now reassured, the man resumed fiddling with the leaves.
Sha Yi sat quietly, watching his skilled hands at work. Yet he seemed distracted, his gaze frequently drifting back to her.
Feeling self-conscious again, she gathered the scattered bone knife and animal hide on the ground, mimed washing, and stood up.
The man didn’t fully grasp her meaning but appeared particularly concerned by her movement. The moment she rose, he quickly dropped what he was holding, stood up, and spread his arms to block her, his muscular chest tensing instantly.
His expression darkened, clearly displeased by her attempt to leave.
Was he treating her like a captive again?
Sha Yi felt both helpless and frustrated. The communication gap between them was severe!
Truthfully, she didn’t want to do chores either. She’d much rather laze around after dinner. But under his watchful gaze, washing up seemed like the safer option.
Patiently, she repeated the washing gestures slowly and deliberately.
Finally, the man understood, though his reluctance was evident. He stared at her for a long moment before lowering his arms and stepping aside.
Satisfied, Sha Yi bent down, picked up the hide and bone knife, and cheerfully headed toward the small lake on the other side of the embankment.
Avoiding his odd looks was one thing, but washing was only part of the excuse—she also needed to relieve herself.
Because… it had been two days. Two whole days without attending to her bodily needs. Even after nearly two days of starvation, this shouldn’t have been such an issue!
Night had fallen, and Sha Yi dared not venture too close to the vegetation. She quickly found a secluded spot to take care of her business before heading to the lake to wash the items.
The lakeside was eerily quiet. The moonlight was much brighter tonight, casting a clear reflection on the water, making the lake appear transparent.
In a better mood, Sha Yi submerged the bone knife and hide in the shallow water.
Within moments, the once-clear surface began to ripple with faint, gradient stains. Staring wide-eyed, she felt a sticky residue on her hand holding the hide.
…
Scrubbing her hands in frustration, Sha Yi’s face darkened. It was just a hide that had held rabbit meat—why was it so greasy?
Glaring at her oily hands, she regretted her decision.
In this primitive forest, with these near-primitive natives, did soap even exist?
Just as she was lamenting, a sharp pain shot through her shoulder. Turning, she saw a giant insect—mosquito-like in shape but the size of a pigeon—clinging to her.
Sha Yi shrieked in terror and fell backward into the shallow water.
The jolt sent the giant mosquito flying, but it stubbornly circled her, clearly intent on another bite. As she dodged, more of the monstrous insects swarmed around her.
Were they trying to drain her dry?
Panicked, Sha Yi abandoned the items she was washing and bolted for the embankment. But she was no match for the giant mosquitoes’ speed. After just a few steps, another sharp pain struck her back, sending her crashing to the ground.
This was bad…
Before she could finish her lament, a pair of hands lifted her and pulled her into a familiar embrace.
The furry chest, the hard muscles, the familiar touch—it was the native man.
Wrapping a leaf around her, he brandished a flaming leaf at the mosquitoes, the smoke quickly dispersing the swarm.
Trembling, Sha Yi glanced at the fallen giant insects on the ground and touched the bite on her shoulder—painful, itchy, and already swelling into a large red bump.
What a bizarre place. Even the mosquitoes were gigantic. What if she encountered something even larger?
Something larger… Suddenly, she remembered the wolf-like beast, the giant snake, the saber-toothed tiger, and even the oversized rabbit they’d eaten—all bigger than any species she knew, yet eerily similar yet different in appearance.
Maybe she hadn’t just teleported…
Maybe she had…
*Time-traveled!*
Staring blankly at the giant mosquitoes, Sha Yi felt her heart sink. A desperate hope shattered, and her legs gave way beneath her.
The man holding her sensed her distress instantly. Wrapping an arm around her, he steadied her and leaned in, his face etched with concern.
Seeing his worried expression up close, the emotions she’d suppressed crumbled completely.
Sha Yi burst into tears.
Her cries were uncontrollable, her sorrow overwhelming. She wept as if her heart would break, drowning in despair and helplessness.
Meanwhile, the man froze in shock at her sudden breakdown. Stiff and motionless, he hesitated for a long moment before timidly patting her back—then stiffened again, utterly clueless what to do.
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