By the time they returned to the settlement cave, it was nearly noon. The heavy rain still showed no sign of stopping, but Sha Yi’s sharp eyes caught sight of two figures—one large, one small—waiting anxiously by the crevice of the cave entrance.
Before she and Xi Yi could get close, the two figures rushed out, grabbed them, and hurriedly pulled them into the cave.
It was mealtime. From what she had learned, the people here seemed accustomed to eating only two meals a day—an early lunch and a late dinner. As soon as she entered the cave, the rich aroma of food hit her, and her stomach growled uncontrollably.
By her count, they had left the previous day and spent less than a full day and night in the dense forest. Yet, it felt like an eternity. She hadn’t eaten anything the night before, had been wounded by the blood-sucking vines, and had only hastily eaten a few wild fruits in the morning. Then, her energy had been completely drained by the encounter with the man-eating serpent plant. At this point, claiming she wasn’t hungry would be a blatant lie!
Fortunately, Xi Gu was perceptive. She had initially intended to carefully check on Sha Yi and Xi Yi’s condition, but upon hearing Sha Yi’s stomach growl, she immediately changed her mind and led them to the deepest part of the cave.
As Sha Yi walked over, she faintly sensed someone’s gaze on her, but she had no energy to dwell on it—she was utterly exhausted and starving.
In the innermost part of the cave where Xi Yi and his people lived, three small fires were burning. Two were roasting meat, while the third held her stainless steel pot, boiling the mushrooms she and Xi Yi had brought back.
When the women tending the fires saw Sha Yi and Xi Yi return, they instinctively stood up and stepped aside. Without hesitation, Xi Gu pushed them both down to sit and then signaled the women to serve the meat and soup.
Xi Yi was just as famished. After tossing the rodent-like creature—somewhere between a rat and a squirrel—to Xi Gu and Ma Rui, he grabbed two skewers of roasted meat and shoved them all into Sha Yi’s hands. Then, he took another skewer for himself. Just as he was about to eat, he seemed to remember something and took the freshly poured mushroom soup from a nearby woman. After blowing on it to cool it down, he brought it to Sha Yi’s lips.
He was the same as always—putting her first in everything.
Touched and with a tingling nose, Sha Yi dared not show her emotions, afraid of disturbing his meal. So, she obediently followed his lead, sipping the mushroom soup from the wooden container he held to her mouth before starting on the roasted meat.
The mushroom soup was deliciously savory, and the roasted meat was tender and fragrant. After two days of bland food, her taste buds instantly revived at the first sip of the broth. The meat further filled her stomach, and Sha Yi suddenly realized how blissful this warm, communal life truly was.
Living together in a settlement, supporting one another, and working in cooperation—even dangers seemed diminished in such a setting!
Beside her, Xi Yi wolfed down his food at an astonishing speed. Before she could finish half of her portion, he had already devoured three large chunks. Torn between worrying that he might choke from eating too fast and fearing he was still hungry, she hesitated over whether to offer him some soup first or hand him the other piece of roasted meat she held.
After an internal struggle, she decided to pass him the meat.
Soup was one thing—no matter how full one was, thirst could always make room for it. But roasted meat was different. Once full from soup, one wouldn’t crave meat anymore. Xi Yi had endured a harrowing night in that terrifying forest for her sake. If he didn’t rest promptly and replenish his energy, his condition would surely suffer.
Xi Yi, however, refused the meat she offered, instead ruffling her hair and gesturing for the others to join the meal. Only then did the women by the fire nod and sit down to share the remaining roasted meat, cheerfully adding more to the fire.
The two pieces of roasted meat Xi Yi had picked for her were quite sizable. Despite being starved for a full day and night, she could only manage to finish one. The other, she simply couldn’t stomach, so she handed it back to Xi Yi.
Unable to resist her insistence, Xi Yi reluctantly ate the piece she returned. But as he did, he couldn’t help lightly pinching her slender waist and giving her cheek a gentle squeeze before finally taking a bite, his expression tinged with melancholy.
Sha Yi instinctively understood—he was lamenting how thin she was. By now, their communication had become smooth, and interpreting his expressions and gestures was second nature to her. Still, she remained silent, merely leaning against him to rest.
The infant placed nearby was still asleep, occasionally smacking its lips in an adorable manner. She didn’t wake it.
Just then, Xi Gu returned from processing the animal meat with Ma Rui and Ma Sa. Spotting the infant by Sha Yi’s side, she rushed over in a flash, staring dumbfoundedly at the child and then at Sha Yi before finally exhaling deeply.
Sha Yi was baffled, but Xi Gu immediately turned to Xi Yi and began speaking rapidly.
Though Xi Gu spoke quickly, Sha Yi’s days of living among them—coupled with the instinctive memory forged during perilous moments—had given her a significant leap in understanding the ancient language. Thus, she easily grasped the conversation between Xi Gu and Xi Yi.
At first, Xi Gu simply asked where the baby had come from. Xi Yi replied that it was picked up. What followed, however, was downright comical.
Xi Gu declared that the child was too ugly, hardly looking human at all. When she reached the line, *”Was it too dark when you picked it up?”* Sha Yi couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.
Instantly, both pairs of eyes turned to her.
Sha Yi sensed trouble, but her reaction was no match for Xi Yi’s speed. He glanced at her, then with an innocent expression, slowly uttered a sentence.
The moment those words left his mouth, Sha Yi wanted to vanish on the spot. To make matters worse, Xi Gu’s expression immediately shifted in response to Xi Yi’s statement, and in the next second, she fired back with her own remark.
One said: *”Sha Yi picked it up. She seemed to really want a child, so I didn’t complain about its ugliness.”*
The other retorted: *”Haven’t you already done the thing that’ll make her pregnant? You couldn’t even restrain yourself during the rainy season, and now you’re picking up a monkey?!”*
The back-and-forth between the two left Sha Yi torn between laughter and the urge to dig a hole and bury herself. Yet, the pair showed no restraint, continuing their debate while darting glances between her and the infant.
Unable to take it any longer, Sha Yi simply stood up and retreated to the bathtub to sleep.
Xi Gu, however, only grew more relentless, endlessly emphasizing the child’s “ugliness.” Shortly after, Sha Yi faintly heard another woman’s soft exclamation—as if she recognized the baby. But exhaustion weighed too heavily on her. The moment she lay down, drowsiness overwhelmed her.
Comforted by the thought that the others would surely care for the child, Sha Yi let go of her worries and slowly drifted into sleep. In her hazy state, she felt a warm body slip in beside her. When she tried to turn, he gently pulled her into his embrace. She yielded, letting him hold her as she slept.
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