Chapter 6: Barbecue Dinner

In an instant, their eyes met, and Sha Yi’s cheeks flushed crimson with embarrassment.

However, it was only a moment before the burly man opposite her surrendered—as if he hadn’t expected such a scene, he simply froze and dropped the pile of things he was holding.

Sha Yi wanted to die of shame!

Standing dumbly for a while, Sha Yi finally snapped out of it. She comforted herself that he was just a native, then stumbled backward toward the lake. In her haste, she slipped and let out a yelp.

Misfortunes never come singly—she had to embarrass herself twice as much!

But the expected pain never came. Instead, she fell into a solid, scorching embrace.

It was the native man.

He had reached her side in just a few strides. Forget his physical strength—his reflexes and agility alone left her astonished.

But now, this situation was just too awkward!

Sha Yi buried her face against the man’s chest, listening to his drum-like heartbeat, feeling utterly mortified.

Yet the man seemed completely oblivious to her discomfort and resistance. Not only that, but he kept running his hands over her smooth back, even trying to pull her out of his arms.

Sha Yi couldn’t let him have his way—she was completely naked, after all.

So, the more he tugged, the deeper she burrowed into his embrace. But his strength was overwhelming, and she had no choice. In desperation, she grabbed a fistful of his chest hair.

The man hissed and finally loosened his grip, giving up on pulling her away.

Sha Yi sighed in relief, wondering how to escape, when the man suddenly stood up. Holding her with one arm, he took a few steps and bent down to pick something up.

After a moment, Sha Yi felt something furry land on her back.

What could it be?

Unable to resist, she reached under her arm to touch it. It felt like animal fur—exceptionally soft and breathable, far better than the leaves she’d worn before.

Watching her stroke it several times, the man finally murmured, *”Xi han na.”* (*”Xi han na”*: Do you like it?)

The words startled Sha Yi. The three syllables sounded eerily similar to the Chinese phrase *”xǐ huān ma”* (do you like it?), and the man’s rising inflection clearly marked it as a question.

Maybe he really was asking if she liked it. But hearing such familiar syllables after just two days here—it felt surreal, like a lifetime had passed.

Gently pulling the fur forward, Sha Yi looked up at the man’s face and tentatively replied, *”Wo hen xi huan.”* (I like it very much.)

As if he hadn’t expected her response, the man jolted, gripping her shoulders with wild excitement. His deep brown eyes scanned her face repeatedly as he chanted, *”La xi han… Wei xi han…”* (*”La xi han, Wei xi han”*: You like it, I like it.)

Finally, he crushed her into a tight embrace, refusing to let go.

Such an uncanny similarity in syllables—he must have understood her. But why was he hugging her so shamelessly? Was he getting ideas? She was still naked!

Sha Yi pushed against him, but he didn’t budge. Frustrated, she turned and bit his arm hard.

He yelped and jumped back, rubbing his arm and frowning down at her in confusion.

Sha Yi felt tricked. This man was the type to take an inch and demand a mile. Sure, he cared about her, but was it really appropriate to grope her like this?

Turning away quickly, Sha Yi roughly estimated the size of the pale-yellow fur he’d given her.

It wasn’t large—probably smaller than the banana-like leaves. She had no choice but to fashion it into a makeshift halter dress. Thankfully, though she wasn’t particularly skinny, her small frame allowed the stretchy fur to fit somewhat decently.

Rushing back to where she’d twisted vines the day before, Sha Yi prepared to make more ropes. The fur was still too small, and with a native man around, she needed to secure it tightly.

The man stood watching for a while, clearly curious about her actions. Soon, he approached, pointed at her chest, and shook his head, muttering something. Sha Yi ignored him, focusing on twisting the thorny vines.

When she didn’t respond, he reached for her chest. Startled, Sha Yi slapped his hand away, glaring at him in warning.

The man mumbled again, shaking his head dejectedly. But as he withdrew his hand, he suddenly grabbed hers, inspecting her palm before snatching the vines from her. He gathered a few more, straightened them, and began twisting them together.

His strength and experience made the task quick, but the way he looked at her sent chills down her spine—why did his gaze seem tinged with reluctance and concern?

What exactly did this man think of her? Why did she feel so uneasy?

Was she being oversensitive, or was she just slow to realize something?

Before she could ponder further, the man handed her the finished rope. Sha Yi took it without hesitation, tying it around herself as she saw fit.

By the time she finished, the man was staring at her, jaw half-dropped, his expression utterly bewildered.

Sha Yi guessed it was a mix of horror and disgust. After all, who wore fur in the middle of summer, let alone tied ropes like a fishnet? Especially in a native settlement.

Just as she finished, a delicious aroma wafted over. The man immediately reached for her hand.

Remembering his earlier look, Sha Yi instinctively dodged. Undeterred, he waved his rough, broad hands under her nose, babbling something incomprehensible.

She couldn’t understand his words, but his gestures made it clear—he was explaining that he’d washed his hands. The fresh scent of plants confirmed it. But he didn’t realize her refusal had nothing to do with that. She couldn’t explain, nor did she dare try.

When she still didn’t budge, he tried again to pull her. She dodged once more.

After several attempts, the man lost his patience. Without another word, he hoisted her onto his shoulder and marched toward the other side of the shore.

Sha Yi was deposited beside a fire.

Skewered above the flames were several pieces of rabbit meat, meticulously cleaned and roasted to a golden crisp, their mouthwatering aroma filling the air.

Sha Yi hadn’t eaten properly in two days. Just the sight of the meat made her mouth water, but with the man who’d just lost his temper nearby, she hesitated.

Noticing her reluctance, the burly man—who had been busy cracking open some unknown hard-shelled fruit—set down his bone knife. He flipped the rabbit meat, selected the best-roasted piece, and handed it to her.

Sha Yi hesitated but took the meat and bit into it.

The flavor was mild, but the meat was tender and juicy, especially the slightly charred skin, which was delightfully crispy. Unable to resist, she took several more bites.

Seeing her enjoyment, the man’s eyes warmed with amusement. He handed her the split fruit, gesturing for her to sprinkle its grainy powder onto the meat. Sha Yi complied, then took another bite.

The powder carried a familiar spiciness!

Instantly, the rabbit meat tasted even better.

Pleased with her reaction, the man walked back toward the shore. By the time Sha Yi finished eating and noticed his absence, he was already returning.

As he approached, she saw he’d gathered a large bundle of the plant leaves she’d worn earlier. He also handed her something wrapped in another type of leaf.

Inside were several plump, juicy wild fruits. Some were slightly squished on one side—likely the ones he’d dropped when he first saw her emerging from the lake. But they’d been washed clean, probably at the lakeshore.

—

**Author’s Note:**

**[“Xi han na”]**: Do you like it?

**[“La xi han, Wei xi han”]**: You like it, I like it.