Chapter 4: The Rescue

When she reached out to hug him, the man’s body trembled slightly, his movements pausing once more. Finally, he lowered his head again, staring at her with an unsettlingly fervent gaze.

That stare sent chills down Sha Yi’s spine, nearly making her let go in shock. Yet the man continued to stare at her unblinkingly.

Sha Yi was speechless. She could only nudge him with her foot, reminding him of their dire situation.

The man let out an “ah,” as if snapping out of a dream. But unlike before, this time he used both hands, climbing up the dense tree canopy with agility rivaling a monkey, then swiftly moving onto another thick vine.

Repeating this process, the two quickly put distance between themselves and the saber-toothed tiger.

When they reached a patch of tangled undergrowth, the man let out a surprised “huh” and leaped down from the vine, landing back on the ground.

Sha Yi immediately released her hold on him and took a step back.

The man didn’t seem to notice her small movement. He merely glanced back at her before turning his attention to whatever had caught his interest.

Left standing alone, Sha Yi realized that every part of her body ached. Her shoulder was scraped, her arms covered in tiny scratches, and bruises seemed to be everywhere. She suspected a large bruise had formed on her left waist—his grip had been so strong she wouldn’t have been surprised if he had broken her ribs.

The only part of her that still looked intact was her pair of fair, slender legs. Even the leaves wrapped around her were tattered, yet her legs remained unharmed. It was strange, but true.

After standing for a while, hunger struck again. Sha Yi exhaled sharply. She had only managed to eat two fruits earlier, and now they were already digested. Just how empty was her stomach?

Rubbing her growling belly, she looked around but found nothing edible. Just as she lifted her foot to check the other side of the undergrowth, an arm suddenly grabbed her forcefully.

Startled, she turned to see the native man—who had been standing a few steps away—now right in front of her, gripping her wrist with an angry expression.

What… was this about?

Sha Yi was dumbfounded. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, her stomach growled loudly.

The man seemed to hear the protest from her empty stomach. He froze, his gaze slowly drifting down from her face to her flat abdomen, her delicate legs, and her scarred feet. Finally, he released her wrist, stared at her for a moment longer, muttered something, then turned and sprinted away.

Confused by his behavior, Sha Yi hesitated just long enough for him to disappear into the distance. Still, she couldn’t help but call out, “Hey… don’t leave!”

But there was no response. In a blink, the man was gone.

Had she been abandoned again?

Even a native was rejecting her!

But was this really okay?

Wasn’t the saying “Save a life, see it through to the end”?

Was she doomed to die in this wilderness, becoming food for wild beasts?

Resigned, Sha Yi sighed and was about to sit down when she spotted something dark green in the patch of grass she had chosen.

Curious, she leaned forward and pushed aside the foliage—only to stumble back in horror.

It was the giant snake she had encountered the night before! Why was it still here? Had it swallowed the massive wolf-beast and was now lying in wait for more prey?

Terrified, Sha Yi turned to flee, but her arm was yanked back.

It was the native man. He had returned without her noticing. He looked at her, then handed her a few damp red fruits, his expression softening.

Sha Yi was stunned, her mind in disarray. She stared at him for a long moment before pointing at herself in question.

The man looked confused at first, then nodded firmly. He took her hand, trying to give her all the fruits, but her small palm couldn’t hold them. After several failed attempts, he settled for giving her the two largest ones first.

They really were for her!

He hadn’t abandoned her—he had gone to find her food!

Sha Yi felt her nose sting, warmth flooding her chest. She gave him a grateful smile.

That single smile seemed to stun him again. He just stared at her, looking a little foolish.

This time, Sha Yi didn’t scold him. Instead, she pointed at the undergrowth behind her, signaling for him to check it out while she ate the fruits. She was truly starving.

Understanding her, the man stuffed the remaining fruits into her arms before obediently heading toward the bushes.

By the time Sha Yi finished eating, the man had already dragged the giant snake out of the undergrowth.

She hadn’t gotten a clear look at it at night, but now she could see it was unlike any snake she had ever seen—it had a crest on its head and bony plates along its spine. It had been dead for a while, its belly slit open in four gashes from head to tail, a gruesome sight. Clearly, the wolf-beast had slaughtered it. The sheer amount of blood was horrifying.

Sha Yi felt nauseous. She gagged a few times, nearly vomiting up the fruits she had just eaten.

Hearing her retch, the man immediately turned to look at her, his expression strange, his eyes flickering with something conflicted. But in an instant, his face smoothed back into concern.

Sha Yi wondered if she had imagined it. She studied him carefully.

This time, the man couldn’t stand still. He strode over, reaching out to grab her.

Sha Yi refused firmly, even wrinkling her nose in disgust.

The man froze, momentarily at a loss. Then his expression darkened with anger, and he reached for her again, this time more forcefully.

Sha Yi couldn’t take it anymore. She swatted away his bloodstained hand and vomited violently.

Realization seemed to dawn on him. He looked at his hand, plucked a few thick leaves, crushed them to smear the juice on his skin, then rubbed it vigorously with some grass stems until the blood was no longer visible. Then he waved his clean hand in front of her.

Sha Yi ignored him, still unwilling to let him touch her.

Honestly, unless he washed his hands thoroughly with water several times, she wasn’t going to let that snake-blood-covered hand near her.

The man looked dejected. After a moment of silence, he pointed at the snake again and said something.

Sha Yi shook her head repeatedly, signaling that she didn’t understand. From his gestures, it seemed he wanted to take the snake with them, but she would never agree to travel alongside a dead serpent!

After what felt like a conversation between a chicken and a duck, the man finally gave up on the snake carcass. Instead, he motioned for her to follow him.

Understanding his intention, Sha Yi nodded without hesitation. The man looked delighted. As she approached, he crouched down, pointing at his back and then at her feet.

He actually wanted to carry her!

This treatment was… Sha Yi nearly choked on her own surprise. She had been secretly hoping for this—her feet were injured, and she had no shoes. She had long since given up on walking on her own, but she hadn’t dared to ask, given the man’s occasional brutishness. Now, here was her chance!

While Sha Yi was busy scheming in her mind, the native man seemed to misinterpret her silence. Thinking she was still reluctant, he waved his hands frantically, as if promising he wouldn’t touch her with them.

Sha Yi found it amusing. This native was so simple-minded—and honestly, not that bad. Once she had rested, maybe she could convince him to help her leave this forest. It wasn’t impossible!