Logically speaking, in such heavy rain, apart from the interior of a cave, there would be no other hollows to avoid getting soaked.
Sha Yi simply knelt on the ground and peered into the hole. The more she looked, the more it seemed like some kind of animal’s den, but she didn’t dare reach her hand inside to feel around. This world was far too unfamiliar to her, so she had to find another way.
After glancing around, Sha Yi picked up a bent tree branch and carefully extended it into the hole.
The hole wasn’t shallow, but fortunately, the branch was long enough. Eventually, she felt the tip poke something soft yet firm.
It probably wasn’t a mollusk or amphibian… Sha Yi prodded it again, and a rough, muffled cry came from inside.
She couldn’t identify the animal, but one thing was certain—its cry was downright unpleasant.
Just as she was about to poke it once more, the creature at the other end of the branch had had enough. With a flurry of movement, it burst out and charged straight at her, clearly unamused.
It moved too fast. All Sha Yi saw was a blur of colors rushing toward her before she was knocked sideways. Before she could even get up, she felt something sharp jab her butt, startling her into scrambling to her feet.
That jump left her utterly dumbfounded.
What… what the hell kind of bird was this?
The moment it emerged, feathers flew everywhere—and judging by the looks of it, none of them belonged to the bird itself.
Sha Yi swore this was the ugliest bird she had ever seen.
It was bizarrely shaped—almost entirely bald, with only a few sparse feathers, save for a tuft of sky-blue plumage sticking straight up from its head. Its neck was absurdly long, and its face looked like it had been punched and swollen. Its beak was oversized and heavy, drooping so low that it couldn’t even lift it when screeching at her. Its body was about the size of a medium-sized dog, but it had stubby little legs and two tiny, featherless wings that flapped awkwardly as it ran, resembling a tumbling washing machine.
Most importantly… trailing behind it were three miniature versions of itself, which could almost be described as adorably stupid.
But the ugly bird didn’t seem keen on letting her admire its offspring. It raised its tiny wings and let out another grating cry.
Sha Yi couldn’t help but laugh, which only enraged the bird further. Waddling on its stubby legs, it charged at her with its spherical body swaying. Midway, its neck suddenly retracted, finally allowing its beak to lift.
Sha Yi was stunned once more. As the bird barreled toward her, she instinctively spread her legs, and the chubby, hideous creature wobbled right between them and tumbled past. The three little ones following it rolled out in a similar fashion, trailing after their mother.
Turning around, Sha Yi saw the four birds sprawled on the ground, dazed from crashing into rocks. Her lips twitched.
Had they knocked themselves out?
Picking up the branch again, Sha Yi crouched down and gently poked the ugly bird. It only gave a feeble kick with its stubby claws before lying still again.
Just as she was about to prod it once more, hurried footsteps sounded from the opposite bank. Sha Yi paused but remained crouched.
It might be Xi Yi returning—or it could be something else. Her experiences over the past few nights had left her no choice but to stay alert.
A few seconds later, Xi Yi’s figure appeared in her line of sight.
Her tension eased, and she slowly stood up, waving an arm at him.
Xi Yi spotted her and strode over. Just as she was about to point out the birds on the ground, he abruptly pulled her into a tight embrace.
After a long moment, he murmured softly into her ear, “Kenkulunla… Kenkulunla…” There was a pleading tone in his voice.
As always, she couldn’t understand his words, but she could feel him trembling. She could even hear the frantic pounding of his heart.
What did this gesture mean?
Was he seeking comfort after encountering something terrifying, or was he trying to express something else?
Sha Yi still didn’t understand, but it didn’t matter. She gently returned the hug, patting his back reassuringly before nudging him to look at the four birds by the large rock.
Xi Yi released her, but his gaze remained fixed on her face. His expression was troubled, his breathing heavy and uneven, and fine beads of sweat had formed on his forehead.
She reached out to touch his forehead, but he caught her hand. Still staring at her, he frowned and repeated the words he had whispered earlier: “Kenkulunla…” ([“Kenkulunla”: Don’t leave me.])
Was he asking her something? Did he want confirmation?
After a moment’s thought, she gave a hesitant nod. Only then did the tension in his brow gradually ease.
Sha Yi figured her answer must have been what he wanted, because his expression brightened. But her hesitation might have unsettled him, so she stood on her tiptoes and ruffled his hair.
It worked. He gave her a small smile—forced, perhaps, but at least she had diverted his attention. She pointed again at the four birds, and obediently, he looked.
The moment he did, Xi Yi grew excited. Bending down, he picked up the plump, ugly bird and examined it closely. Just as Sha Yi thought he might snap its neck, he tossed it aside and instead crouched by the hole, reaching inside.
Before long, Xi Yi had pulled out an assortment of items—a pile of tangled feathers, several small animal hides, various unidentified eggs, countless dry twigs and grass stems, handfuls of crushed plant seeds, dozens of hard-shelled nuts, and two bone-like needles about the width of a pinky finger with holes in the middle.
Staring in disbelief at the haul, Sha Yi was astonished.
Xi Yi, however, was thrilled. After thoroughly ransacking the nest, he turned his attention to the spoils on the ground, eventually selecting the eggs, dry twigs, grass stems, and bone needles.
Sha Yi suspected that the era Xi Yi lived in hadn’t yet developed agriculture, because faced with so many items, he only chose those related to sustenance. The rest he merely glanced over without much interest.
Or perhaps he simply prioritized materials for fire-making and sewing, unconcerned about the rest—or confident he could obtain them elsewhere.
But she was different. Unless caught off guard, her principle was always to prepare for the worst. If something could be approached from multiple angles, she wouldn’t settle for relying on just one. Moreover, the era she came from meant her thinking was inherently more complex than his, requiring more considerations. And while her survival skills in the wild paled in comparison to his, her knowledge surpassed his.
Since they were now in this together, complementing each other was the wisest approach.
Sha Yi crouched down and gathered up the remaining items.
Xi Yi seemed puzzled by her collecting what he deemed useless, but he said nothing, grinning at her instead. Then he picked up the three smaller ugly birds and tossed them into her arms before leading her back toward the opposite bank.
Sha Yi didn’t understand why he had left the larger bird and taken the three smaller ones, but she didn’t dwell on it. He must have had his reasons.
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