After walking just a few steps, Sha Yi heard someone jogging up behind her. Puzzled, she turned around and saw the little girl who had been sitting beside the nursing woman now standing in front of her. Before Sha Yi could speak, the girl handed her two glistening greenish fruits.
The girl’s gaze was timid and shy, her movements awkward, yet her gesture was firm.
Sha Yi figured the women must have been grateful—perhaps Xi Yi had spoken to them—and noticing she didn’t want the roasted meat, they’d offered fruit instead. This suited her just fine; she was starving. Without hesitation, she took a bite and then thanked the girl.
Her acceptance seemed to ease the girl’s discomfort, but the sudden gratitude made the child stiffen again.
Thinking the girl hadn’t understood, Sha Yi waved the green fruit at her.
The girl gaped at her in shock, taking a moment to recover. But instead of responding, she bolted as if she’d seen a ghost.
Sha Yi was speechless. Absentmindedly, she took another bite of the sweet-and-sour fruit, her heart heavy with melancholy.
*Was she really that terrifying?*
As she pulled her gaze from the fleeing girl, Sha Yi caught sight of another figure—tall and lean. It was Saina.
She hadn’t noticed him earlier when she stepped out. Given his severe injuries, he shouldn’t have joined the hunt, and indeed, he hadn’t—otherwise, he wouldn’t be loitering at the cave entrance now.
His narrow, dark eyes were fixed on her, a faint smirk playing on his lips.
Sha Yi cursed inwardly and quickly turned away. She wanted nothing to do with him!
From their very first encounter, he’d provoked Xi Yi’s fury. Every time they crossed paths afterward, the two men ended up brawling, and Saina never missed a chance to stir trouble between her and Xi Yi. Even gravely injured, he refused to rein in his antics—a walking disaster!
Determined to avoid him, she tried to slip away, but in just a few strides, he blocked her path.
Sha Yi nearly jumped in alarm, but exhaustion kept her rooted. Suppressing her irritation, she took a step back and glanced toward the cave entrance, hoping the women might intervene.
No such luck. While she’d been distracted by Saina, they’d all dispersed—likely at his doing. Now, aside from a few unfamiliar tribesmen tending the fire pits, the cave was nearly empty.
Resigned, Sha Yi abandoned any thought of escape and glared up at the towering man.
To her surprise, Saina didn’t react with anger or grab her roughly as before. Instead, he chuckled softly before asking, in a surprisingly gentle tone, a single, clear question:
*”Good?”*
Sha Yi froze.
She should’ve realized sooner.
The women who’d stayed behind wouldn’t have fresh fruit—let alone glistening ones. The hunting party wouldn’t return until afternoon, and these particular green fruits were rare. In all her time here, she’d only seen them twice. The first time, Saina had forced them on her, and Xi Gu had ended up eating them—Xi Yi’s group never seemed fond of such wild fruits.
It was obvious now. No one else could’ve provided them but Saina.
Annoyed at her own hunger-clouded judgment, she shoved both the half-eaten fruit and the untouched one back into his hands, then sidestepped him, trudging slowly toward the inner gathering area.
Unfazed, Saina accepted the returned fruit, took a bite of the one she’d eaten, and crunched loudly. Sha Yi whirled around, glaring, but he merely smirked, his gaze lingering with unsettling amusement.
Her eyes widened when she realized he’d bitten into *her* half-eaten fruit. Flustered, she lunged to snatch it back, but he dodged effortlessly, flashing a triumphant grin.
Defeated, Sha Yi gave up and turned away, retreating to the cave’s deepest section.
The fire pits were cold, but dry grass, twigs, and kindling were neatly stacked nearby. She wasn’t sure why Xi Yi’s group had extinguished the fires, but it didn’t matter—with her lighter or matches, she could reignite them anytime. In fact, compared to tribes that maintained perpetual flames, letting fires die in semi-enclosed spaces was probably healthier.
Nearby, the mushrooms she and Xi Yi had gathered soaked in her stainless steel bowl, seemingly prepped for her to make soup. Though the fire was out, the branch frame for the bowl was already set up. All she needed was to light the kindling.
Settling onto a fur by the pit, Sha Yi flicked her lighter and fed the flames with dry grass. Remembering the resin she’d scraped in the eerie forest the day before, she tossed some in. The fire roared to life, sparing her extra twigs—efficient and effective.
Through it all, Saina watched from a distance. When she used the lighter and resin, his astonishment was palpable, though he stifled any outburst. His widened eyes betrayed his shock, but he remained seated, his gaze now weighted with something new.
Sha Yi ignored him. In this brutal rainy season, survival demanded cooperation—no one would risk conflict over trivialities.
And even if Saina coveted the lighter, his people stood no chance in a direct confrontation. Strangely, she doubted he’d act on it. Emotionally reckless, perhaps, but in matters like this, she sensed he wouldn’t cross certain lines.
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