When Sha Yi woke up, the light in the forest had already dimmed, indicating that evening was approaching once again.
She didn’t know when she had fallen asleep, but it had been noon when she first climbed onto the back of the indigenous man. Now, as night was about to fall, she was still lying steadily on his broad, strong back.
The man continued walking, seemingly unaware that she had woken up. His steps remained light and slow.
Sha Yi didn’t move either. After two days and a night of harrowing experiences, coupled with sleeping in the same position for half a day, her body felt stiff. Her chest and abdomen inevitably bumped against the man’s back as he walked, leaving her sore and somewhat lazy.
Come to think of it, this indigenous man hadn’t used his snake-bloodied hands to touch her at all!
But… glancing at her hands, which were tucked under her face, Sha Yi froze. When the man had first carried her, she had clung to his neck with her arms. So why was she still securely on his back now, even though her hands weren’t exerting any effort?
Had this indigenous man been bending over the entire time?
With that thought, Sha Yi couldn’t help but lift herself slightly.
—Sure enough, the man’s back was almost parallel to the ground!
Sha Yi was stunned, momentarily at a loss for words.
The man carrying her, however, sensed her movement and stopped. But that was all he did—he seemed unsure of what to do next.
Sha Yi slowly slid off his back. He immediately turned to look at her, and when he saw her pressing a hand to her waist without saying a word, he grew anxious. He reached out quickly to pull her up but hesitated just before touching her, as if remembering something, then awkwardly lowered his hand.
Sha Yi felt something soft inside her stir.
This was the first time she had ever received such a level of care and consideration from a man. Growing up, even her own father had never been so attentive, let alone her ex-boyfriend, who had always been self-centered.
Yet this man, whom she saw as a primitive, had repeatedly shown concern for her—especially during her most desperate moments. She was grateful, but right now, she had no way to repay him.
Seeing him drenched in sweat and flustered, she couldn’t bear it.
After a moment’s hesitation, she stood on her tiptoes and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead.
As soon as she withdrew her hand, the man reflexively grabbed her wrist, staring at her with wide, unblinking eyes.
Just as expected!
Sha Yi sighed inwardly. She didn’t understand why this man was so sensitive to her small gestures—he seemed unusually fixated on her actions.
At the moment, she still felt uneasy about his snake-bloodied hands, but she didn’t protest or resist, letting him hold her.
Seeing her quiet and compliant, the man was visibly surprised for a moment, but his expression quickly shifted to joy. His gaze grew increasingly intense, and his grip on her wrist tightened, as if he had no intention of letting go.
Sha Yi winced, sucking in a sharp breath. The man immediately realized his mistake and loosened his hold. Then, glancing between her reddened wrist and his own hands, he abruptly pulled away.
It seemed he had remembered her aversion to his snake-bloodied hands—and his own promise not to touch her with them.
His lips moved, but no sound came out for a long while. She waited, but he eventually closed his mouth again.
Perhaps he had wanted to explain something but decided against it, thinking she wouldn’t understand anyway.
Sha Yi, too, was unsure how to reassure him. She could only shake her wrist slightly.
At this, the man’s face flushed red. When he looked at her again, his gaze was no longer direct but flickered with something like guilt.
Was he blaming himself?
Just as Sha Yi was considering how to signal that she no longer minded so much, the burly man suddenly leaped away and punched something in the distance.
Startled, Sha Yi took a step back, but the man quickly returned, half-bowed, and handed her something while making an eating motion. He watched her carefully.
It was a white, rabbit-like creature—the same kind she had seen before encountering the wolf-beast. It was furry and somewhat cute, though its cry had been eerie. Now, after the man’s punch, it was either unconscious or dead.
But none of that mattered. Right now, she needed to fill her stomach, regain her strength, rest well for the night, and then think about everything else.
Her prolonged silence, however, led the man to misunderstand again. His hopeful expression dimmed, and he slowly set the rabbit-like animal down, looking dejected.
Realizing this belatedly, Sha Yi hurriedly picked up the discarded creature and nodded at the man, pointing to her stomach to indicate she was hungry.
Understanding her meaning, the man brightened again. As he took the animal and turned to leave, he paused and said earnestly, “Wei la duo ke na ye, ke na ai.” (Translation: “We’ll stay here. This is good.”)
This was the second time the man had spoken to her, but she still didn’t understand. Sha Yi shook her head to signal her confusion.
The man stopped, thought for a moment, then pointed to the embankment behind her and said, “Ta ku la, nei da la…” as he walked toward it. (Translation: “There’s water. Wash up.”)
The words sounded familiar, but Sha Yi couldn’t recall their meaning. Guessing that there might be something by the embankment, she followed. After a few steps, she recognized the small lake where she had bathed the day before.
The indigenous man pointed at the lake and repeated, “Ta ku la, nei da la…”
Sha Yi looked down at herself. The leaves wrapped around her were tattered, and her body was covered in stains—far from clean.
The man’s meaning was clear: she should wash up while he prepared food.
Silently memorizing his words, Sha Yi agreed that a bath was necessary. After all, she had probably sweated more in these two days and one night than in her entire life. Plus, the rotting leaves would likely fall apart if she didn’t change them soon…
She nodded immediately, sparing the man further explanation. She had always preferred cleanliness—otherwise, why would she have come to this godforsaken primitive forest in the first place?
With mutual understanding reached, the man left, though not without a thoughtful glance back at her. Only when he was far enough away did Sha Yi dare to remove the leaves.
The weather was so hot that even as night fell, the lake water remained warm—a blessing for Sha Yi. Soaking in the warm water, she felt her entire body relax. True, the scrapes and cuts stung a little, but they weren’t serious and would heal soon.
After a long soak, Sha Yi suddenly realized she had forgotten to prepare a large leaf beforehand and hadn’t kept track of time. The indigenous man might already be on his way back. If she didn’t hurry, how would she get out of the water? He’d probably just stand there dumbfounded again!
With that thought, she quickly stood up—only to come face-to-face with the man in the most unguarded moment imaginable!
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