Chapter 264: Special Feature: Xi Yi’s Story

In the blink of an eye, another scorching summer arrived.

Time flies so quickly—it’s almost the next rainy season again.

I still remember the moment I first met Sha Yi, the woman I adored beyond measure, in that very forest.

Truth be told, back then, my original plan was to track down that saber-toothed tiger. If I could gain the upper hand, I’d do my best to take it down. But if the odds weren’t in my favor, I wouldn’t force it.

Before that, Ximang, who had always been by my side, had been injured. During the hunt, he was bitten by the juvenile saber-toothed tiger, and his condition wasn’t looking good. So, I took him back to the stone cave where we used to live together.

Afterward, I decided to give myself one more day to see if I could seize the opportunity. After all, if that juvenile saber-toothed tiger made it safely through the rainy season, our lives would become much harder.

But I also knew this was a huge risk.

We were already at the transition between summer and the rainy season. If I didn’t hurry back to the settlement cave soon, I knew something terrible might happen to me.

Still, I wanted to test my luck.

I made up my mind: if I couldn’t find a chance to kill that juvenile saber-toothed tiger within a day, I’d pack up and leave by dusk.

But that day, something unexpected happened.

It wasn’t the saber-toothed tiger—it was a woman. I actually saw a woman in that forest, right at noon on the last day I had given myself.

I admit, growing up, I hadn’t seen many women. But this woman was undoubtedly the most beautiful one I had ever laid eyes on.

Even though she was stuck in a swamp at the time, covered in mud, my eyesight had always been sharp.

And she looked completely different from us. I don’t know how to describe her uniqueness, but with just one glance, I was overcome with the desire to make her mine.

I startled myself with that thought.

Reason told me I shouldn’t let her distract me from the juvenile saber-toothed tiger, but I couldn’t bring myself to walk away.

Suddenly, I no longer cared about tracking the tiger. I didn’t want to leave. So, I pulled her out of the swamp.

She was much lighter than I expected, and I used too much force, causing her to crash painfully onto the ground.

My heart ached at that moment, but I didn’t dare show it too openly. Besides, she didn’t seem to understand what I was saying.

I really wanted to get closer to her, but she resisted. She clearly didn’t like me being near her.

Honestly, her rejection stung a little, but I understood. After all, it was our first meeting, and I knew how rare it was to have a woman who belonged entirely to me.

I didn’t know where this woman came from, but I knew my own heart—I desperately wanted her!

Of course, no desire had ever burned so fiercely in me before. So, I decided I needed to be patient.

But this place wasn’t safe. While I was talking to her, I heard the roar of the saber-toothed tiger. And since she was covered in mud, I thought maybe I could lure the tiger away first, let her wash in the small lake, and then pick some fruit for her to quench her thirst.

She did as I suggested, and I was thrilled. But when I returned, she was no longer by the lake.

Frustration gnawed at me.

Still, I told myself that maybe she didn’t understand me or had gone to look for something. But I waited until nightfall, and she never reappeared.

She must have run away, unwilling to see me again!

Even so, I refused to give up on the first woman I had ever wanted so fiercely.

So, I decided to give myself one more day. Unfortunately, even after searching all night, I never saw her again.

At that point, I suddenly resolved to stay longer—just to find her.

I must have been insane, choosing to let Ximang suffer in pain just for a woman I had met once.

But I couldn’t control my heart anymore. I had to find her. I had to make her completely mine.

As it turned out, my luck wasn’t bad—I did find her again.

I saved her from the claws of the juvenile saber-toothed tiger, and because of her, I lost the best chance to kill it. But I didn’t regret it.

If not for that encounter with the tiger, I might never have had the beautiful life I now share with her.

The only regret was that I didn’t find her sooner, which delayed my return to Ximang. In the end, he succumbed to his injuries and was devoured by a snake.

Though Sha Yi and I later avenged him, it was still an imperfection. Otherwise, Ximang would still be here, living happily with us.

But I think Ximang wouldn’t hold it against me. After all, Sha Yi’s arrival brought us countless blessings. Without her, we might not have survived the lightning strikes, floods, or the terrifying volcanic eruptions during the rainy season.

Meeting Sha Yi was truly a gift from the heavens!

Because of that, I’ve always been careful, afraid that one day she might suddenly disappear from my side.

I must admit, I’m deeply insecure, but I can’t change that. For some reason, deep down, I always feel like I haven’t truly held onto the woman I love most.

Especially when other men are around—it makes me uneasy.

Saina used to be my biggest threat.

Originally, there wasn’t much conflict between us. If anything, it was just our differing views on women.

Like many other groups, Saina believed that since women were scarce, it was acceptable for one woman to have multiple men. But that wasn’t allowed in our group. I didn’t necessarily agree or disagree with anyone.

I just thought: let him do as he pleases, and I’ll do as I please. That was all. But I never expected he’d take an interest in the woman I loved most.

That clash under the fruit tree—I admit, I lost my temper. I couldn’t help it. I just wanted to beat him senseless. I didn’t expect him to be seriously injured, and I did feel remorse. But he kept deliberately provoking Sha Yi, and I couldn’t stop myself from getting angry, from wanting to teach him a lesson and make him stay away from her.

Because he made me feel like danger was everywhere.

I knew Saina well—his personality was naturally more charming to women. And ever since we started gathering in the settlement cave every rainy season, he had never shown interest in any woman. But his sudden enthusiasm for Sha Yi put me on edge.

At that time, I was tempted to take Sha Yi and leave the settlement. Thankfully, she didn’t seem to like him, which eased my mind a little.

Of course, apart from Saina, there was also Jialuo.

But I wasn’t too worried about Jialuo. Maybe because he had already annoyed Sha Yi early on, so even if he had some strange thoughts, I was relieved that Sha Yi’s heart remained with me.

So much has happened during this time, and I’ve often felt lost. But thankfully, all the bad things are over now.

And in just a couple of days, we’ll be welcoming a new life.

A long time ago, when I was young, I dreamed of having a woman who belonged entirely to me—and that wish came true. When I saw Xigu with Masa, I thought, *I want the woman I love most to bear my child too.*

But then I remembered how Xigu looked when she gave birth to Masa, and how the mares struggled during the rainy season, and I hesitated.

I’ve always wanted a child. I felt that with a child binding us, the woman I loved most would never leave me. But I also realized that childbirth could put her in danger, so I became reluctant again.

So, I told Sha Yi, *I can live without a child, but I must keep you by my side.*

She just smiled and told me she wanted to stay with me—and she wanted to bear my child.

She said, *Not every woman faces danger during childbirth.*

At that moment, I was overjoyed.

I felt like the luckiest man in the world.

From winter to the tail end of summer, it’s been over nine months now. Xigu warned me early on to be prepared because Sha Yi might go into labor soon.

I’m so nervous. I worry about every possible complication, so now I don’t even go hunting anymore. I just stay by her side every day.

All I want is for her to be safe.

Because I know—if she ever left me, I wouldn’t last a single moment.

Tonight is quiet. I thought it would pass like any other night, that Sha Yi and I would sleep peacefully until dawn.

But our child seems determined to play a joke on me—choosing the middle of the night, when everyone is asleep, to torment the woman I love most.

Sha Yi’s face is pale. She says her stomach hurts—she must be going into labor.

Seeing her drenched in sweat, I’m terrified. My heart aches, but I don’t know how to help her.

She tells me to fetch Xigu.

When I rush back with Xigu, she refuses to let me back inside.

I don’t understand why she won’t let me in. I don’t know how painful childbirth is. All I know is that I paced outside all night while she suffered inside. Heaven knows how much it hurt me to hear her in pain.

Suddenly, I regret it—I regret letting her have this child.

If not for the baby, she wouldn’t be suffering like this.

She must be in so much pain.

I wait until daybreak. Just as I’m about to kick the door down and rush in, I hear a loud, fragile cry.

That’s… our child?