From the moment she sipped her soup until noon, Sha Yi had been soaking in the bathtub. She didn’t see Xi Yi again during that time, and aside from someone bringing her some mild food, nothing else happened.
Due to menstrual cramps and the relentless downpour outside, Sha Yi didn’t bother getting up, choosing instead to rest peacefully in the bathtub.
Rainy days were perfect for sleeping, and the blood loss only deepened her drowsiness. It was a rare day with only rain and no thunder, so Sha Yi quickly dozed off. But the peace didn’t last—she was soon jolted awake by a series of deafening thunderclaps.
The thunder was close, as if it had struck right at the entrance of the settlement’s cave. Unlike before, this time the thunder was unusually dense, far more frequent than anything she’d experienced before, even in that terrifying forest.
Thinking of the reddish-brown thick vines she had placed near the cave entrance days ago—still in the experimental phase—Sha Yi couldn’t help but feel anxious.
At the time, she had only made an educated guess. Though she had tested it in that dreadful forest, the actual outcome might still depend on luck. Besides, many days had passed since then, and whether the vines could still attract lightning was uncertain. If they backfired, it would be disastrous.
Growing frantic, she called out Xi Yi’s name a few times, but no one answered—not even an echo.
Left with no choice, Sha Yi sat still for a moment, then pressed a hand to her lower abdomen. Feeling that the pain had lessened, she carefully stepped out of the bathtub.
Beyond the animal hide partition, there was indeed no one—not even little Masa.
People in this ancient era were always on high alert. Even when food and shelter were secure, they constantly sought to gather more supplies. Not even a torrential downpour could stop them, as long as there was no thunder.
Looking at the situation in other tribes, it was much the same. The sight left her with mixed emotions.
Getting drenched in the rain wasn’t good for their health, and they hadn’t expected the thunder to strike midway. She had no idea where they were now or if they were about to return to the cave.
Lightning was merciless, and the climate and environment of this ancient wilderness were always unpredictable. She was deeply worried.
But she no longer had time to fret over Xi Yi and the others—she couldn’t even spare a moment for hope. In the next instant, another thunderbolt exploded, shaking the entire cave and sending dust raining down from the ceiling!
Startled, Sha Yi dashed toward the cave entrance.
During the day, with heavy rainfall, the entrance was only partially blocked by a large boulder. Peering through the gap, her view was unobstructed, so she could easily see what was happening outside.
But her timing was terrible. The moment she looked out, another thunderbolt struck—a blinding silver-white flash that slammed directly onto the reddish-brown thick vine coiled around a massive tree. After an earth-shaking boom, a heavy, dull cracking sound followed.
Staring dumbfounded at the teetering tree trunk, Sha Yi froze.
The situation before her was unexpected, yet exactly what she had hoped for—a paradoxical and surprising outcome.
But in the next second, she realized something was wrong. Unfortunately, her intuition didn’t translate into reflexes. By the time she fully processed the danger, the towering tree—struck multiple times by lightning—was already hurtling toward the cave entrance at terrifying speed.
In that instant, Sha Yi’s mind went blank. Her instincts screamed at her to run, but her limbs went weak—especially her legs, which felt rooted to the spot. No matter how hard her brain commanded them to move, they refused to budge.
She was sure she was done for.
Given the length of the tree’s branches, it would easily reach the cave entrance upon falling. If it crashed down, part of the cave would collapse. Even if she managed to run a few steps away, the cave-in would likely bury most of the living quarters, trapping her beneath. Unless she could swiftly escape outside, survival seemed impossible.
This disaster was entirely her fault—her carelessness and overconfidence had led to this.
In those fleeting moments, she fully grasped the catastrophe the falling tree would bring. Fear consumed her, death loomed, and she could no longer move. Resigned, she closed her eyes.
But just as she gave up, a rough hand suddenly seized her arm. Before she could react, she was yanked violently off balance and flung outward by brute force. The momentum sent her body sliding out through the small gap in the cave entrance.
The exaggerated motion and impact left Sha Yi gasping in pain, but she had no time to cry out. The moment she tumbled out, the massive tree’s thick canopy smashed into the cave’s entrance like a hammer, shaking the very ground beneath her.
Moments later, the sound of boulders shattering and rolling echoed again. Dust and rain swirled together, thick and suffocating. Sha Yi didn’t dare move immediately. She waited until all the noise and tremors had ceased before opening her eyes.
Now, in front of her and behind, most of her field of vision was dominated by the lightning-struck giant tree. It lay beside her, its heavy trunk having crushed a significant portion of the cave entrance. The pile of boulders was so dense she couldn’t even glimpse the inside.
The scariest part? She was less than an arm’s length away from it.
Remembering the split-second rescue, she quickly looked down to find the person who had pulled her out—only to realize she was half-sprawled across a lean, muscular chest. The dark skin immediately brought a name to mind: **Sai Na!**
Hesitating, she forced herself to look up.
Sure enough!
He lay sprawled on the ground, his face twisted in discomfort, as if he’d taken a hard hit.
While she was still stunned, he coughed and gestured weakly toward a certain spot. “As much as I’d love to keep holding you like this,” he wheezed, “your elbow is making it a bit unbearable. Could you move it? Or maybe we could adjust positions?”
Following his gesture, Sha Yi’s face instantly burned crimson. Without another thought—and ignoring her lingering cramps—she sprang up like a startled rabbit.
She… she… how could her elbow have been pressing right against the crotch of his animal-hide skirt?!
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