She decided firmly not to return the remaining two chicks to it!
As if sensing her intentions, the ugly bird flapped its wings angrily again. After a series of neck-retracting and head-thrusting movements, it suddenly charged toward her—this time with astonishing speed.
Sha Yi quickly stood up to dodge, but the distance between them was too close. She had barely taken a step when it rammed straight into her.
It had to be said that the ugly bird, due to its sheer bulk and the acceleration from its sprint, delivered a rather impressive impact. The collision sent her stumbling backward, slamming her against the edge of the bathtub. Her right leg, which had taken the brunt of the hit, throbbed with pain, and thanks to the bird’s massive beak, a bloody scratch now marred her fair skin.
Rubbing her stinging calf, Sha Yi was furious. Seeing the ugly bird still glaring at her, she grabbed a small branch nearby and hurled it at the creature.
Whether it was due to limited mobility or sheer disdain, the bird didn’t move an inch. It stood there, taking the hit head-on.
At that moment, Sha Yi was disgusted, but the ugly bird was enraged. With a loud screech, it launched a second, even fiercer attack.
This time, Sha Yi was prepared. She quickly sat down in the bathtub and yanked her legs up. In the blink of an eye, the bird crashed into the side of the tub. Perhaps it had put too much force into the charge—or perhaps it hadn’t expected her to retract her legs—but the impact was brutal. Still, compared to its first collision by the lake, it fared slightly better this time. After spinning dizzily for a few rounds, it finally steadied itself.
By the time it regained its bearings, Sha Yi had already settled back into the bathtub. The bird seemed furious about this, waddling over on its stubby legs and pecking violently at the tub with its beak, as if protesting against her.
Sha Yi paid it no mind, though she deeply regretted the scattered shrimp and the dented stainless-steel basin. Just as she turned to survey the mess, Xi Yi emerged from the darkness.
Seeing him, Sha Yi was overjoyed. Instinctively, she wanted to run to him, but the moment she lifted one leg out of the tub, she remembered the bird and hastily retracted it. The sudden movement aggravated her bruised leg, making her wince in pain. In her haste, she glanced sideways at the ugly bird—it was still mindlessly pecking at the tub in frustration, oblivious to her earlier action.
Xi Yi had excellent night vision. He noticed her excitement as well as her hesitation. Seeing her retreat back into the tub, he grew alert and strode over to her in a few quick steps.
He had brought back many things—bundles of dry grass and branches for firewood, a pile of wild fruits wrapped in animal hide, and two large rodent-like animals in his hands. As Sha Yi leaned in to get a better look, he abruptly dropped everything, crouched down, and grasped her right leg with his large hand.
Startled, she flushed crimson when she realized what he was doing. She squirmed uncomfortably, but Xi Yi pressed his other rough palm against her thigh, muttering something under his breath.
At that, Sha Yi fell completely still.
Yet she couldn’t help but admire Xi Yi. He noticed even her subtlest movements—especially under the dim glow of the fire at night. That he could spot such an insignificant wound wasn’t just due to his keen night vision; his attentiveness toward her had reached a level that made her heart race.
Unaware of her inner thoughts, Xi Yi carefully examined her injury before rummaging through the items he had brought back. He pulled out a few stalks of grass, chewed them into a pulp, and applied the paste to her leg.
Truthfully, Sha Yi didn’t think her injury was a big deal. Bruises from impacts were usually just dull aches, and scrapes, no matter how severe, only hurt intensely at first.
She gestured to Xi Yi that her wound was nothing, but he outright dismissed her opinion. Pushing her hand away, he continued applying the grass paste until her minor scrape was covered in a thick layer. Only then did he reluctantly stop and hand her the fruits from the animal hide before standing up to move around the tub.
She was about to warn him about the ugly bird, but as if he had already anticipated it, he reached out, grabbed the bird by its neck and beak, and flung it far away. Sha Yi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Xi Yi, however, showed no reaction and immediately busied himself with preparing the two rodent-like animals.
Sitting on the edge of the tub, Sha Yi swung her legs and ate a few wild fruits while watching Xi Yi work. Then she remembered the five shrimp that had been knocked to the ground earlier. Leaning forward, she tried to step down, but the moment her toes touched the ground, she saw the ugly bird staggering back toward her—this time with its chick trailing behind, clumsily mimicking its mother’s half-dead wobble.
Sha Yi couldn’t help but laugh. Noticing the bird seemed intent on attacking her again, she quickly retreated into the tub and pulled her legs up.
This time, she had overestimated the ugly bird.
Its drunken charge toward her missed entirely, and instead, it crashed headfirst into Xi Yi’s back.
Sha Yi burst into laughter. Xi Yi, however, lacked her patience born of curiosity. Without hesitation, he grabbed the bird by the neck, dragged it to the fire, and set its tuft of blue feathers ablaze before tossing it aside and resuming his work.
Sha Yi was stunned by Xi Yi’s ruthless move.
Meanwhile, the ugly bird, now even more disoriented from being thrown again, took a while to realize its head was on fire. Letting out a panicked squawk, it jumped up, spun in circles, and finally had the sense to waddle frantically toward the river to douse the flames.
Sha Yi was nearly speechless. This bird was both hideous and stupid, yet it somehow knew to find water to put out the fire—a miracle!
But she had no time to dwell on it. While the bird was busy extinguishing itself, she needed to retrieve her shrimp, wash them, and cook them. The rodents Xi Yi had brought back were something she couldn’t stomach, and with him around, she didn’t feel as reluctant to go near the river anymore.
Picking up the dented stainless-steel basin, Sha Yi couldn’t help but feel a pang of regret. It was the only thing they had that could serve as a pot. No matter how hard she pressed, the dent refused to pop back out. Sighing in frustration, she finally gathered the shrimp from the ground and trudged toward the river.
Xi Yi glanced up at her, as if wanting to say something, but ultimately lowered his head in silence.
Unaware of his gaze, Sha Yi finished washing the shrimp and walked straight up to him, gesturing that they could eat them later.
Xi Yi had clearly seen this type of shrimp before, but he didn’t seem to think they were edible. He merely poked at them, looking at her with confusion.
Sha Yi decided it was better not to explain. Once they were cooked, she’d just have him try them—after all, he wasn’t picky. She took the basin from his hands, but his sharp eyes caught the bulge on the inside. Swiftly grabbing her wrist, he pressed the dent firmly with his fingers, relying on memory to restore its shape.
With that single press, the basin’s bottom flattened out again. Though not as smooth as before, it was nearly back to normal. Overjoyed, Sha Yi stood on her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him.
But joy often leads to sorrow—Sha Yi had forgotten that every affectionate gesture came with its own price.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage