“If you hadn’t mentioned it, I wouldn’t have noticed the issue.” Realizing the severity of the problem, Sha Yi also felt frustrated. “But who could have leaked the information to Yeli and his people?”
“Could it be someone Manlun left behind among us?” Garlo wondered. “Is it them? But the people I brought aren’t very familiar with your side either.”
“I can’t say for sure.” After openly admitting his uncertainty, Saina remained silent for a long moment before continuing, “But it’s not just them. Think back—when we were first in the new settlement’s cave, didn’t you also bring two women from the old settlement?”
After a moment of recollection, Garlo suddenly erupted in anger. “Are you saying it was those two women?”
“I didn’t say it was them. I just have suspicions, nothing confirmed.” Saina reiterated, somewhat exasperated. “Your people and ours aren’t close, but those two women are familiar with us. You should know how they usually behave. From my perspective, though I can’t be certain, they are highly suspicious.”
“Those two women were indeed troublesome at first, but after becoming partners with our men, they stopped acting as they did before, so I stopped paying attention to them.” Garlo took a deep breath, seething. “If it really was them, I’ll wring their necks!”
“Oh? So you noticed their bad behavior before? Why didn’t you deal with them then?” Saina raised an eyebrow. “Or was it because Yeli’s side had more women, and you didn’t want to risk losing them?”
“Focus on your own situation first. Less talk, or you won’t even know how you die!” Glancing at Saina’s bandaged wounds, Garlo retorted sharply. “Look at you, covered in injuries. If you can’t protect yourself, at least watch your mouth. Harsh words bring bad luck.”
Saina smirked, unbothered, and replied calmly, “I’d advise you to check on your own side first. Don’t just talk big—remember what’s truly urgent…”
“I know, of course I know!” Garlo cut him off furiously. “I don’t need your reminders. I will save Tuge. Don’t act so smug—he saved you too. Without him, you wouldn’t be alive. And if it weren’t for you, Tuge wouldn’t have been captured in the first place. You bear the greatest responsibility!”
After spitting out his words with venom, Garlo grabbed a torch and stormed off, pausing halfway to turn back and shake his fist threateningly. But the gravity of the situation weighed on him, and he soon sprinted away.
With Garlo gone, the tension eased, but an awkward silence settled between the two.
Saina, unusually hesitant, seemed uneasy, likely embarrassed by the morning’s events. For a long time, he said nothing, just watching her with his narrow eyes. In the dim light, she couldn’t even make out his expression.
They stood there, wordless.
After a while, she recalled his earlier words about Yeli’s intentions and broke the silence. “Earlier, you said Yeli’s goal was to capture me?”
“Of course. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have taken Tuge. It could’ve been anyone else.” The tension dissipated as Saina regained his composure. “They took Tuge because they assumed he was in the hut with you. That means their target was definitely you.”
“But besides me, Xi Yi also lived in that hut!” Sha Yi remained puzzled. “Maybe their target was Xi Yi?”
“Initially, their target might have been Xi Yi, but by the time they acted, it was you.” Saina chuckled softly. “To outsiders who don’t understand, Xi Yi seems more valuable than you—no question about it.”
“Then why are you so sure Yeli wanted me?”
“Between Xi Yi and you, who’s easier to capture?” Saina looked down at her, his obsidian eyes glinting with amusement. “Rather than risking an uncertain attempt to grab Xi Yi, it’s far safer to settle for you.”
“So that’s it…” Sha Yi suddenly understood, then realized belatedly, “You’re calling me… stupid!”
Her face darkened.
“That’s not what I meant…” He reached out as if to touch her face but hesitated and withdrew his hand. “It’s just… you are very delicate. Even in strength, you’re weaker than most women, let alone compared to Xi Yi. Capturing ten of you would be easier than grabbing Xi Gu once.”
He was referring to her physique.
Indeed, compared to these towering figures, she was shorter, less robust, and far weaker—her greatest vulnerability.
Saina’s words were blunt but true. If she’d been stronger when they first met under the fruit tree, things might have turned out differently. He might not have betrayed the entire new settlement for her.
Perhaps their current struggle against Yeli would’ve been easier too.
But what’s done is done. Even now, they’ve let go of the past and reconciled.
Lost in thought, she glanced up at him, only to find him still staring. Feeling caught, she quickly looked away, but he sighed softly.
After a pause, he spoke slowly. “When I first saw you under the fruit tree, I thought you were different—unlike any woman I’d ever seen. At first, I was just curious. You fascinated me.”
“And… later?”
“Later, I realized you had no ability to resist. I wondered how someone like you had survived until then. I wanted to know where you came from.” Saina’s voice softened. “But I never expected Xi Yi to charge down from the tree. In all the rainy seasons before, he’d always been calm and silent. Because of Xi Gu, I’d provoked him a few times, but he usually ignored me. He seemed indifferent to everything—it made him boring.”
“Was that why you deliberately provoked him in front of the cave later?”
“Partly, but not entirely.” Saina smiled faintly. “The real provocation was under the fruit tree. Like me, he’d never sought a partner—maybe because women were scarce, or because of his group’s strange rules. So when he showed concern for you, I couldn’t believe it. I wanted to see how far he’d go for you.”
“And you got beaten badly!” Sha Yi frowned, annoyed by his earlier games. “But once you knew, why keep provoking him? Didn’t you realize your injuries? Garlo was right—if you don’t watch your mouth, these wounds won’t heal!”
“I don’t regret it.” Saina shook his head firmly. “I admit, it started with curiosity, then I began noticing you unconsciously. But in the end, my feelings were real. Remember what I told you in that small rain shelter? I’d never felt that way before. But after you appeared, I gradually realized I needed a woman by my side. From then on, I knew—I liked you very much.”
At first, she listened as if recalling distant memories, hearing stories she’d never known. But as he continued, his words took on a different tone—like a confession, a stubborn declaration of feelings despite repeated rejections.
She resisted it.
Even if she hadn’t been carrying Xi Yi’s child, even if they’d gone back to their first meeting, nothing between them would have been possible.
Perhaps it was like the fairy tales she’d never believed in.
Yet fate had its own plans. She and Xi Yi were meant to be. Her love for him was as boundless as his for her—unwavering and eternal.
Cutting him off, she said firmly, “I understand what you’re saying. But just like losing our first settlement, what’s done is done. We can’t go back, and there’s no possibility. Let go of the past. Cherish what you have now—that’s the best way forward.”
Her interruption and rejection silenced him.
After a long pause, he finally murmured, “I know. But sometimes, I can’t help remembering how things were back then. It’s a shame… I didn’t have Xi Yi’s luck.”
He gave her a small, genuine smile—so warm and pure it almost seemed unreal.
Yet it was undeniably real, for he added softly, “I don’t want to lose this harmony between us now. It was hard-won, and I hope it stays this way.”
Saina had truly changed.
Maybe it was the aftermath of their argument at the volcano that morning. Or perhaps the pain he endured staying behind for her during the eruption.
Whatever the reason, the man before her was no longer arrogant or reckless. Through trials, he’d transformed—quiet, introspective, and at peace.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage