The First Blush of Awakening

A night passed.

Fortunately, the secluded spot Xia Yi had chosen allowed him to safely weather the night filled with beast roars and wolf howls, remaining undiscovered by the demonic beasts lurking in the jungle.

As the sun rose on the second day, Xia Yi checked Bing Yingying’s body temperature, finding it still alarmingly low.

“Alas…”

With a helpless sigh, and no other recourse, Xia Yi had no choice but to set out in his undergarments (TL Note: “Kucha zi” refers to underwear or shorts, often used humorously to imply being poorly dressed or in a dire situation) to search for food.

He was merely in the Qi Condensation stage and had not yet achieved Bigu (TL Note: A state of cultivation where one no longer needs to consume mortal food). Furthermore, his cultivation was currently gone. Even Bing Yingying, who was in the late Foundation Establishment stage and had achieved Bigu, might now face the problem of hunger under these circumstances.

Thus, food was among the most urgent necessities, second only to fire.

With time of the essence, Xia Yi, having formed a plan, retrieved the lost spirit sword he had found while searching for shelter and immediately sprang into action.

Following his memory, he returned to the lakeside where Bing Yingying had nearly drowned.

Taking a deep breath, Xia Yi plunged forcefully into the lake.

Fortunately, the lake teemed with diverse species, none of which had ever encountered a hairless bipedal ape like Xia Yi. They showed no wariness towards him; in fact, some small fish even circled him curiously.

With hardly any effort, Xia Yi managed to catch a plentiful haul of fish and several shrimp and crabs.

He also successfully harvested an Iron-Shelled Clam!

This Iron-Shelled Clam was, arguably, a type of demonic beast; its only distinction from ordinary clams, apart from its metallic shell, was its sheer size.

Since its shell was metallic, its shape and size were remarkably similar to common cooking pots.

Consequently, its shells were often purchased by wealthy families to be used as actual cooking pots.

After killing the Iron-Shelled Clam, he used its shell as a container to hold the fish, shrimp, and crabs he had gathered that day, carrying them back to the shelter.

Guided by the white rope tied to his hand, Xia Yi quickly made his way back to the shelter.

It was high noon, the hottest part of the day, and also the most opportune time to start a fire.

After checking on the still unconscious Bing Yingying once more, Xia Yi resumed his attempts at starting a fire by drilling wood.

Using the Iron-Shelled Clam as a pot and his spirit sword as a knife, he prepared the fish, shrimp, and crabs. He then roasted a portion over the fire and tossed another portion into the clam shell to boil.

Seizing this interval, Xia Yi found several bamboo stalks and fashioned them into bowls and chopsticks. Having grown up surviving in the wilderness, Xia Yi was naturally adept at such tasks.

Before long, a fresh pot of lake seafood soup was ready, and his makeshift bowls and chopsticks were also complete.

Xia Yi ladled a bowl of the lake seafood soup and approached Bing Yingying. After ensuring it wouldn’t scald her, he carefully fed the warm, savory broth to the unconscious Bing Yingying.

Thankfully, Bing Yingying was still able to swallow normally, and as a bowl of warm fish soup entered her stomach, a touch of color returned to her pallid face.

This brought a wave of relief to Xia Yi, proving that Bing Yingying had not reached a point of no return; she was merely too weak and had fallen into a deep slumber.

With hope emerging for the most troublesome issue, Xia Yi’s morale was significantly boosted.

Fueled by this renewed spirit, Xia Yi spent only an afternoon perfecting the rudimentary shelter.

He also took the opportunity to construct a simple wooden bed for Bing Yingying, covering it with a thick layer of dry grass to help her maintain body temperature.

As night fell, after feeding Bing Yingying, Xia Yi continued his vigil. Although Bing Yingying’s complexion was improving, it would still take some time before she awoke.

During this period, Xia Yi could only remain by Bing Yingying’s side, and the information he could explore and gather was extremely limited.

Three days swiftly passed.

With a soft murmur, Bing Yingying finally regained consciousness.

“Mmm…”

“You’re awake? How are you feeling?”

Xia Yi, who had been preparing breakfast outside, heard the sound and quickly set aside his work, rushing into the shelter to check on her.

“Uncomfortable…”

“Where does it hurt?”

“It’s stifling.”

“…………”

“I can’t move, help me.”

Although Xia Yi couldn’t fathom why Bing Yingying could utter such a request with a completely expressionless face, he nonetheless lifted her and carried her outside the shelter.

After a rustling, trickling commotion, Xia Yi carried the still low-temperature Bing Yingying back to the straw bed.

Xia Yi remained oblivious that while he was tending to Bing Yingying, the white rope tied between their hands had turned a faint shade of pink.

Following this, the two found themselves in an awkward standoff, staring at each other. Of course, only Xia Yi felt awkward; Bing Yingying had once again reverted to her “Three-No” (TL Note: A common internet slang term, ‘sanwu,’ meaning emotionless, expressionless, and speechless, often used to describe a character with a blank or poker face) state.

“Goo-goo-goo…”

Only when a rumbling sound emanated from someone’s stomach on the bed did Xia Yi finally manage to leave and continue preparing breakfast for them both.

“Thank you…”

Xia Yi, with the sound of fish soup simmering in his ears, did not catch this faint whisper of gratitude.

Bing Yingying sat blankly on the bed, wrapped in both their clothes, watching Xia Yi bustle about.

She suddenly felt a familiar yet strange sensation welling up in her perpetually cold heart.

This feeling was very similar to how her parents cared for her, yet it held a subtle difference.

It was a sensation her parents’ care had never evoked: a quickening of her heartbeat.

She didn’t know what this feeling was, but it wasn’t bad; at least it made her feel like she was still a person, still alive.

“Fish soup is here, uh… can you eat it yourself?”

Bing Yingying shook her head slightly; she still couldn’t feel her limbs, as if they had been numbed.

“Alright then.”

Previously, Bing Yingying had been unconscious, so Xia Yi hadn’t minded.

However, now that she was awake, it was Xia Yi’s first time feeding a conscious, exquisitely beautiful ice-cold maiden.

At home, it was always Pei Yunxiang and Fei Miaoyun who fed him, though precisely how they fed him was another matter entirely.

“Uh… is there something on my face?”

After feeding Bing Yingying a few mouthfuls of warm fish soup, Xia Yi noticed her empty, emotionless eyes continuously fixed on his face.

Her intense stare sent shivers down Xia Yi’s spine, making him feel as though he were being targeted by a yandere (TL Note: A Japanese term for a character who is initially loving and gentle but then becomes obsessed, overprotective, and violently deranged) woman who had turned dark.

It was terrifying!

Upon hearing Xia Yi’s question, Bing Yingying shook her head, then resumed staring at him.

Xia Yi: “…………”

‘Fine, whatever.’

Though still a bit uncomfortable, Xia Yi decided he no longer cared. If she wanted to stare, then let her stare.

Only after he had finished feeding her a bowl of fish soup and several pieces of fish did Bing Yingying shake her head again, indicating she was full.

“Then you should rest well here. I’ll be outside; just call me if you need anything.”

After carefully wiping the remnants from Bing Yingying’s mouth and tidying her clothes, Xia Yi finally left the shelter.

Meanwhile, on the bed within the shelter, Bing Yingying’s eternally unchanging beautiful face was tinged with a faint blush of pink!

As Xia Yi had helped her tidy her clothes and wipe her mouth, such close proximity to a male other than her father made Bing Yingying experience the sensation of shyness for the very first time.

Though very subtle, it faded after only a moment, her expression returning to its usual deathly stillness, or rather, indifference.

Yet, this marked the first time she had ever felt another emotion, and it was sparked by a boy.