The sudden situation caught Sha Yi off guard, but after a brief thought, she accepted it. Even mosquitoes carry toxins naturally, so it would be strange if this massive, bizarre blood-sucking creature didn’t have any poison.
The problem now, however, was quite troublesome. If her blood clotting function was compromised, she might bleed uncontrollably. Her wounds were different from Xi Yi’s—though numerous, they were small and dense. If not for the faint traces of blood, they might not even be noticeable.
At the moment, she had to bind these tiny puncture wounds as quickly as possible to buy herself some time to get out.
Xi Yi seemed to understand her thoughts. He immediately tore the pale yellow fur into strips, clearly aware that her wounds needed to be stopped from bleeding. As he wrapped her waist tightly, he used considerable force.
The pain from her waist wounds was already intense, and with Xi Yi’s deliberate pressure, Sha Yi gasped sharply but didn’t dare make a sound—his expression looked grim too.
Once the bandaging was done, the bleeding on her waist was temporarily under control. Xi Yi motioned for her to sit while he turned away to gather the scattered tree roots and branches, preparing to start a fire by friction.
Sha Yi didn’t stop him.
In this kind of forest, fire was essential. Forget about those troublesome carnivorous, blood-sucking plants—just the damp and darkness alone were unbearable. It was a pity she hadn’t brought a lighter; otherwise, they wouldn’t be in this predicament. But after this lesson, she decided she would always carry a lighter wherever she went from now on. Additionally, she needed to equip herself with a bone knife so she wouldn’t suffer from a lack of self-rescue tools when she had the ability to save herself.
On a nearby boulder, the infant wrapped in animal hide had somehow fallen asleep, seemingly unharmed. Sha Yi recalled that the thick vines of the tree had only ensnared him for a few dozen seconds, and given his small size, the tree hadn’t managed to grip him tightly. When she pulled him out, she hadn’t seen any wounds on him either, which finally eased her mind.
The only lingering concern was how difficult it would be to find enough food in this area, especially for an infant. She worried whether he could endure it. Moreover, his unnerving silence made her uneasy.
Xi Yi spent a long time trying to start the fire, mainly because the branches were damp. Eventually, he succeeded, but keeping it burning was still a challenge, costing them more time.
By the time everything was somewhat ready, the sky had merged with the towering canopy of the giant trees. If not for the small fire Xi Yi had just managed to light, it would have been impossible to see even their own hands.
Sha Yi couldn’t help but feel anxious.
Tonight would undoubtedly bring torrential rain and violent thunderstorms. If they couldn’t escape this forest, they would face countless dire challenges.
Beyond hunger and cold, there were no caves here to take shelter in. Once the rain came, the fire would be extinguished. Both of their wounds couldn’t tolerate moisture, and whether there were other wild beasts lurking in the forest remained unknown. The danger of blood-sucking, carnivorous plants was omnipresent. Moreover, the deep waterlogged terrain beneath the towering trees made this place a perfect lightning trap. Every single factor was potentially fatal.
Naturally, Xi Yi’s fire couldn’t be carried with them. Making a torch was out of the question, and even keeping the fire alive was difficult—the damp branches and leaves produced thick smoke when burned.
After racking her brain, Sha Yi still couldn’t figure out a solution.
Xi Yi, too, was deep in thought, though unlike her, he seemed preoccupied with something else. As he tended the fire, he kept glancing distractedly into the depths of the forest.
Sha Yi wanted to ask but didn’t know how to bring it up. Instead, she slowly stood up and walked over to the boulder to pick up the infant.
He was still asleep, breathing steadily, his resilience and adaptability far exceeding her expectations.
Gently tightening the animal hide around him, Sha Yi turned to head back.
But Xi Yi had somehow appeared beside her. Seeing her turn, he hesitated before speaking, pointing toward the dense forest while gesturing. Finally, he patted her shoulder and pointed to the spot by the fire.
Sha Yi quickly understood.
He was telling her that he was going into the depths of the forest and wanted her to stay here.
Deep down, she didn’t want him to take such a risk, nor did she want to be separated from him again. But judging from his earlier demeanor, he had clearly thought it through before making this decision. If he chose to tell her, then he must have a compelling reason to go.
After a brief consideration, Sha Yi nodded in agreement and handed the infant to him, putting on a deliberately sweet and helpless expression.
Having spent these days with him, she knew he wasn’t impulsive or reckless in his decisions. So, she didn’t want to stop him or waste his time by asking for explanations.
With the storm approaching, the sooner he left, the better.
Xi Yi had no resistance to her coquettish act. Seeing her nod without further questions, he assumed she simply didn’t want to take care of the child anymore. He took the infant, quickly tucked the fruit knife into his waistband, and plunged into the forest.
Watching Xi Yi’s retreating figure, Sha Yi sighed softly and sat down slowly.
Her decision not to stop him had two other reasons: first, staying under the trees wasn’t safe either, and second, if he stayed with her, she would only be a burden. If anything happened, he would prioritize protecting her, and given Xi Yi’s nature, neither of them might survive—which was the last thing she wanted.
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