Chapter 228: Tuge and Kasang?

Garlo truly seemed born to vex her, always hitting the sore spot without fail.

In that split second, Sha Yi’s face turned livid with anger, wishing she could kick him straight into the trench.

Just then, Xi Yi happened to arrive, perfectly timing his appearance to witness the smug fool waving roasted meat at her. Instantly, Xi Yi’s expression darkened. However, Garlo fled too quickly, leaving no chance for Xi Yi to get close.

Sha Yi sighed helplessly, deciding not to waste any more energy on the matter. Suppressing her irritation, she tried her best to forget the lingering smell of roasted meat and ease the discomfort it had caused in her stomach.

Though she couldn’t understand why her morning sickness was so intense in the early stages of pregnancy, or why the smell of roasted meat alone bothered her so much, she knew this issue couldn’t—and wouldn’t—be resolved anytime soon. The best solution was simply to avoid it.

Garlo wasn’t aware of this, and his actions were simply in line with his personality, so it wasn’t entirely his fault.

At this moment, she just didn’t want Xi Yi to worry too much. Nor did she want this issue of hers to reignite old grudges between them.

This was a critical period. The relationship between Xi Yi, Saina, and Garlo was already delicate. If Xi Yi and Garlo were to clash again, it would undoubtedly lead to more trouble.

No matter what, she couldn’t let these two stir up more conflict now.

As someone entangled in this three-way dynamic, she had to do her utmost to maintain her composure. Otherwise, they might stumble badly in dealing with Yeli.

For now, the smell of roasted meat had mostly dissipated. By the time Xi Yi approached, she had already regained her composure.

Unlike before, this time Xi Yi brought her a mixture of millet and shrimp—no longer just plain shrimp soup or plain boiled millet. Instead, the millet seemed flattened and cooked into a thick, modern-style porridge, generously mixed with shrimp tails. It looked heartwarming and delicious, and even the aroma was enticing. She had no idea who was behind this creation, but it successfully whetted her appetite.

It had been a long time since she’d eaten anything resembling modern food. The mild saltiness blended with the tender sweetness of the shrimp tails made Sha Yi savor every bite with delight.

Xi Yi watched from the side, his face lighting up with joy as he saw her enjoying the meal.

The portion he’d brought was more than enough. Even for someone with a hearty appetite, finishing it all would be a challenge.

In the end, considering how rare this dish was, she felt Xi Yi should have some too. After all, without him, she might not have survived until now.

With that thought, she pointed to the remaining millet-shrimp porridge in the larger bowl and said, “I can’t finish this. It’s really delicious—you should try some, Xi Yi. If you like it, we can make more dishes like this in the future.”

At first, Xi Yi seemed reluctant, perhaps because he found such food hard to prepare or obtain. In the past few days, no one had touched the food meant for her. But now, he seemed swayed by her suggestion. Eyeing the bowl of millet-shrimp porridge, he unconsciously licked his lips.

Sha Yi couldn’t help but laugh. She reached for a clean wooden container to serve him some, but before she could, Xi Yi snatched the half-finished bowl from her hands and downed the rest in one gulp before she could react.

Sha Yi was stunned, her ladling motion freezing mid-air.

The man who’d stolen her bowl showed no remorse. After finishing it, he even smacked his lips twice, as if agreeing with her assessment—the taste was indeed excellent.

But what bothered her wasn’t that. It was the awkward intimacy of sharing a bowl.

In modern times, such behavior might be common and trivial. But in this era, it felt strange. To outsiders, it might seem like carefree indifference, but to her, it felt different—like an indescribable intimacy. It was undeniable proof that Xi Yi held no reservations toward her, even revealing his most unguarded self in her presence.

If she hadn’t paused to reflect, she might have been startled by her own reaction. But now, her feelings had completely shifted.

Instead of using a clean bowl to serve him, she ladled more millet-shrimp porridge into the same bowl he’d taken from her. Warmth filled her heart and face, and as she moved gently, she felt herself softening entirely.

Yet, to him, her actions still seemed like a temptation. After a few exchanges, he instinctively wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. As she lowered her head, he tried to kiss her.

Sha Yi laughed and pushed him away, gesturing for him to continue eating the porridge.

Denied the kiss, Xi Yi pouted slightly, but his devotion to her outweighed his disappointment. Whatever she said, he obeyed.

Even though, in his eyes, she was far more enticing than any bowl of porridge, he had no choice—he was utterly willing to follow her every word.

Bowing his head, Xi Yi resumed eating the freshly served millet-shrimp porridge.

This new serving seemed even tastier than the previous one. Xi Yi devoured it voraciously, far more enthusiastically than before.

Sha Yi found this odd. Curious, she dipped a clean stick into the larger container and tasted a bit from his bowl.

It was salty—much saltier than the mild flavor of her earlier portion, and noticeably more intense.

This made it far more flavorful.

Sha Yi guessed that whoever cooked it hadn’t stirred the salt crystals properly, or perhaps added them too late, leaving them undissolved and settled at the bottom.

Otherwise, her first bowl wouldn’t have been so much milder than the rest.

She couldn’t decide whether to laugh or cry.

Xi Yi seemed to notice the subtle shift in her expression and looked up with a grin. “Do you know who made this?”

“Marsa?” Sha Yi raised an eyebrow. “Or Xigu?”

Xi Yi shook his head repeatedly, still smiling. “Nope!”

Honestly, she was dying to know whose handiwork this was. The idea was ingenious, but the execution was clumsy. “Then who? You?”

“Not me.” Standing up, Xi Yi pulled her to the doorway and pointed outside. “See? He’s still cooking millet, though this batch doesn’t have shrimp—just some edible leaves.”

It was Tuge!

Watching the old man solemnly tending the fire and occasionally lifting the sagging lid to check, Sha Yi was stunned.

Subconsciously, she never imagined Tuge could cook anything, let alone something as modern-inspired as this porridge.

Moreover, during their initial conflicts, he’d been practically blind. According to Garlo, he’d remained in that state for a long time.

And since their group had reunited at the volcanic cave, she’d never seen him participate in cooking, much less do it alone.

This scenario was nothing short of unbelievable—like seeing a ghost.

Associating Tuge with cooking felt utterly incongruous.

Staring at the scene, Sha Yi wondered if her eyes were playing tricks. But after blinking, he was still there.

At a loss for words to describe Tuge or her thoughts, she gaped slightly, dumbfounded. Xi Yi pulled her back inside. “Don’t doubt it—what you see is real. Tuge can cook, and his methods are novel. Compared to ours, he’s got way more tricks. We’d never seen him cook before, so we had no idea. Today was a shock!”

“Why did he suddenly decide to cook?” Sha Yi couldn’t wrap her head around it. “When he was with Garlo, even someone as unreasonable as Garlo couldn’t force him to do this. What’s gotten into him today? A change of heart?”

“We asked the same thing. Given his past behavior, this was bizarre. Plus, there’s always been some unspoken tension between their side and ours—not aimed at anyone, but even Garlo dislikes it, so we’ve stayed cautious,” Xi Yi explained. “So we questioned him. Tuge said we don’t know how to handle millet or cook it properly, so he insisted on doing it himself.”

“And that’s why you agreed?”

“Yep.” Xi Yi nodded with a smile. “But since we’d never seen his skills, we were worried he’d mess up. Xigu made a separate batch too. Marsa tasted Tuge’s version and said it was good, so I brought it to you.”

“Isn’t millet hard to cook?” Sha Yi recalled Marsa’s struggles with it.

“Tuge used millet that Marsa had already cooked for a while. She wasn’t going to give it to him, but he was stubborn as usual. We’re used to it, so we let him do his thing. Turns out, he’s got some ideas.”

“Wait… Xi Yi.” A thought struck Sha Yi—Kasan. The millet originally came from Yeli’s side, prepared by Kasan. Tuge was also from the north, and by his own account, he hadn’t always been with Garlo’s group. So…

Kasan and Yeli were both involved in group expansions, and both knew about millet and how to prepare it. Could there be some hidden connection between them?

For instance, maybe they once belonged to the same group… No, Tuge said only he survived from his original group. But perhaps they were neighboring groups?

Her theory might very well be correct!

Yet, during their negotiations with Yeli, he hadn’t shown any recognition of Kasan. What did that mean?

Within moments, Sha Yi’s thoughts were tangled beyond clarity.

Still, she felt this speculation had merit. Though not entirely certain, she resolved to ask Kasan. It might even strengthen their alliance.

Secretly pleased with her plan, Sha Yi’s mood brightened further.

Xi Yi had no idea what she was thinking, but seeing her happy was enough for him. He led her back to sit on the animal hides inside.

Night was falling. An early rest would do them good—at least they’d be more alert.

Tonight would be brutal for Yeli and Saina, filled with inevitable casualties. Garlo’s involvement was beyond their control. While this conflict likely wouldn’t reach them, they couldn’t afford to let their guard down.

Yeli’s cunning was well-known. Diversion tactics were always possible, and Sha Yi understood this well. The trench would offer some protection, but she still briefed Xi Yi on the overall situation.