His sudden roar startled her so much that a piece of mushroom got lodged in her windpipe, stuck there, neither coughed up nor swallowed. Just as she felt suffocated, he shook her violently with all his might, and Sha Yi felt as if she was left with only a single breath hanging by a thread.
To be fair, if he hadn’t rushed in without giving her a chance to explain, she wouldn’t have had to test the mushrooms herself. If he had remained asleep, she could have found a rabbit or something else to try them first…
Yet Xi Yi was completely unaware that his violent shaking was the reason for her near-death state. In his panic, he finally released his grip on her shoulders, but before she could recover, he reached out again—one hand cupping her chin, the other pressing and kneading swiftly along her neck.
After just a few motions, Sha Yi felt her throat loosen, and the small piece of mushroom floated up from her windpipe. Before she could react, Xi Yi’s hand under her chin exerted force, forcing her mouth open. Then, as she lowered her head, he gave a firm slap to her spine.
With that single strike, she couldn’t help but cough. After a few hacks, the small piece of mushroom indeed fell out of her mouth intact.
Sha Yi was dazed for a long moment before she regained her senses. Xi Yi, however, finally let out a deep sigh of relief. Seeing she was fine, he pulled her into his arms and refused to let go, as if afraid she might try eating the mushrooms again.
Listening to his frantic heartbeat, Sha Yi stayed silent and let him hold her for a while. But when he still didn’t release her, she grew puzzled and hesitantly called out, “Xi Yi…”
Hearing her voice, Xi Yi finally loosened his grip, though the worry and tension in his expression remained. He looked down at her, his eyes filled with relief but also a hidden unease.
Was he relieved she hadn’t swallowed the mushroom? Or was he afraid of losing her?
As their gazes locked, Sha Yi felt as if time had frozen. The worry and tension between them in this moment might just be the most precious emotional reward she had gained since arriving in this ancient world. Even if the mushrooms were poisonous, she would have willingly accepted it.
But Xi Yi didn’t think the same way. Seeing her fall silent, he grew anxious again and reached for her once more.
Sha Yi caught his hand and pulled him down to sit on the large round leaf. Pointing at the bowl of mushrooms, she gestured, asking why he hadn’t even given her a chance to explain before insisting on throwing them away—why not test them on a small animal first?
Xi Yi fell silent, unsure whether he was deciphering her gestures or lost in other thoughts. She noticed his expression darken but didn’t rush him, patiently waiting instead.
After a long while, he slowly spoke two syllables, then clutched his own throat, pointed at the air and the leaf-wrapped animal meat, and finally gestured toward the mushrooms in the bowl, repeating the motions several times.
Sha Yi studied his actions carefully, piecing together the meaning. Recalling the name “Xi Mang” from the sounds he made, she understood about seventy to eighty percent of his message.
He was likely telling her that Xi Mang had once eaten such mushrooms and nearly died. Moreover, the area they were in, surrounded by vines, had no small animals except for the glowing night insects. Otherwise, Xi Gu and Ma Rui wouldn’t have sent pre-prepared meat. As for the mushrooms in the bowl, there was simply no way to test their toxicity now.
Xi Yi’s prolonged silence before speaking was probably due to the memory of Xi Mang’s death—a pain that would forever linger in their hearts.
Now, it was just a pity about the mushrooms. She had originally planned to test them on an animal first. If they were safe, she could have enjoyed a delicious mushroom soup. After all, she hadn’t seen any mushrooms in the days she’d been here. This rare encounter had turned out to be a missed opportunity. And mushrooms were highly nutritious, too.
With a reluctant glance at the bowl, Sha Yi sighed. There was truly nothing she could do.
The fire was still burning, but boiling water now would be a waste of time. She figured they might as well roast the meat directly for a quicker meal. Just as she was about to ask Xi Yi to bring the meat, she saw him stand up and decided to hold back her request.
Xi Yi walked toward the stainless steel bowl. At first, Sha Yi was puzzled, but when he crouched down and reached for a mushroom, she belatedly realized something was wrong.
Unfortunately, she was a step too late. Just before she could speak, Xi Yi took a large bite of the half-cooked mushroom and swallowed it whole.
Sha Yi gasped in shock, jumping to her feet, but words failed her. Xi Yi turned to her with a smile, then walked back to her side.
She reached out, trying to pry open his mouth to see if he had really swallowed it, but he caught her hand and pressed it against his chest. His eyes filled with tenderness, he gently brushed the back of his hand against her cheek. Then, pointing at himself, he nodded, and pointing at her, he shook his head.
The meaning of this gesture was difficult to decipher. It took Sha Yi a long moment to understand, and once she did, tears welled up uncontrollably—he was saying that if anyone were to test the mushrooms, it should be him, not her!
Sha Yi couldn’t hold back her tears.
He was afraid of losing her—but wasn’t she just as afraid of losing him?
If the mushrooms were harmless, then fine. But if they were poisonous, given the conditions of this ancient era, death would be almost certain. In this moment, she fully understood the desperation he must have felt earlier. He must have been just as distraught!
Before this, she had always believed her feelings for him couldn’t possibly match the depth of his for her. But now, she realized she had long grown dependent on him. She knew his love for her was bone-deep, but she hadn’t expected her own heart to have quietly surpassed what she had imagined…
Now, she finally understood her own heart. What did it matter if he was from ancient times and she from the modern era? Sincerity was all that truly mattered!
And so, if he was willing to risk his life for her, then she would stand by him without hesitation—even if it meant facing death together.
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