Although she was worried about him venturing deep into the forest, that might be their only way out. Sitting idle was worse than taking a chance.
She handed the infant to him because his survival skills in the wild far surpassed hers. Moreover, she couldn’t bear the thought of the child she had risked everything to save losing its life for nothing.
Staring blankly at the fire for a long while, Sha Yi had been waiting for a downpour, but the situation was unusual. Not only was the heavy rain delayed, but there wasn’t even a single lightning strike.
After a dazed moment, her gaze fell on the unknown animal that Xi Yi had brought and tossed by the fire. Suddenly, she thought of animal fat—it was similar to oil and would undoubtedly work as fuel. The realization filled her with regret. Why hadn’t she thought of asking Xi Yi to make a torch with the fat earlier?
If Xi Yi had carried a torch, the risk of danger might have been reduced, and she could have felt slightly more at ease.
But now it was too late… Still, she couldn’t shake her reluctance before the rain arrived.
After staring at the fire for what felt like an eternity, Sha Yi couldn’t sit still any longer. She picked up a relatively thin and sharp stone fragment and began processing the unknown animal.
Though her technique was still far from skilled, compared to her initial squeamishness when she first arrived in this world, the change was astonishing—even to herself.
However, the stone fragment wasn’t easy to use, and her lack of expertise made skinning the animal and extracting the fat a frustratingly slow process. Sha Yi grew disheartened.
Just then, rapid footsteps echoed from the woods. Her heart leaped into her throat, and she instinctively grabbed a half-burnt stick from the fire, holding it defensively in front of her as she stared fearfully in the direction of the noise.
After a tense pause, a tall figure emerged swiftly from the trees, stopping near the fire. Only then did Sha Yi realize—it was Xi Yi. He had actually returned!
Seeing him, she froze in shock, but Xi Yi wasted no time. He rushed forward without a word and pulled her into a tight embrace.
She could feel his emotions.
It seemed… he had already guessed her intentions from the moment she handed him the infant.
She tentatively tried to push him away, but he only held her tighter.
After a long silence, she heard him murmur softly in her ear.
It was the same familiar phrase—he didn’t want her to leave him, even if it meant facing danger together.
Sha Yi’s heart twisted with conflicting emotions. She was moved by his unwavering loyalty but also pained by his stubborn determination. She had never imagined that even in this ancient era, she could encounter such a resolute love—one that promised a lifetime.
At that moment, her nose stung, and tears welled up in her eyes. But remembering the impending storm, she forced them back, inhaling sharply.
Xi Yi noticed and panicked, pulling her away to check if she was crying again. Just then, a flash of lightning illuminated the night like daylight, and before they could react, a deafening thunderclap erupted from the ground.
Sha Yi quickly pushed Xi Yi away. The delayed lightning strike was terrifyingly powerful—who knew how long it had been brewing? The coming rain would undoubtedly be far heavier than the previous day. If both struck at once, staying under the trees for even a moment longer would be suicide.
Anxious, she urged Xi Yi to process the animal carcass on the ground—she needed the fat.
Without question, Xi Yi grabbed the fruit knife and knelt, swiftly and skillfully working on the small animal.
He always complied with her requests, especially now when he sensed her urgency. Besides, she never asked him to do anything pointless, so despite the approaching storm, he trusted and obeyed her without hesitation.
Still, he worried about her wound. If it got wet… Xi Yi glanced at her with concern. His night vision was excellent, and even in the dim firelight, he could clearly see that the pale-yellow fur wrapped around her waist showed no fresh bloodstains. Relieved, he focused back on his task.
Sha Yi didn’t notice his gaze, nor did she know his thoughts. She busied herself rewrapping the infant in animal hide and tucking the drowsy marmoset in as well before gathering some relatively dry twigs and leaves.
By the time Xi Yi handed her the extracted animal fat, thunder was already rumbling more frequently overhead.
Sha Yi wasted no time. She took the fat, grabbed a thick, half-burnt stick from the fire, and had Xi Yi carve a groove into it with his knife. Then she stuffed the fat and dry leaves into the groove before wrapping the whole thing tightly with the animal’s hide.
Xi Yi held the makeshift torch she had crafted and, following her instructions, continued to burn it over the fire. Just as it was nearly ready, another thunderbolt struck—this time hitting a towering tree not far from them. With a deafening crack, the massive trunk split in two, one half crashing to the ground in an instant. The air filled with the damp, rotten stench of decay.
This was the second time Sha Yi had witnessed lightning strike a tree firsthand. Terrified, she urged Xi Yi to hurry.
Having experienced the dangers of monsoon thunderstorms many times, Xi Yi didn’t hesitate. Seeing that the torch was sufficiently prepared, he lifted it, reached for her hand, and signaled that they could leave.
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