Chapter 26 Part 1

After having her wound dressed, Li Yuanxi lay on the bed, her medium-length hair swept to the uninjured right side. She watched Wei Shu wash her hands clean and then begin to prepare the sea fish she had brought back.

With her back to Li Yuanxi, Wei Shu poured out half a bucket of water and carefully cleaned the fish again. The fish, weighing about two or three jin, was enough for her and Li Yuanxi. For the next few days, Li Yuanxi needed to eat plenty of protein and Vitamin C to help the wound heal.

Wei Shu rolled up her sleeves, wiped the iron pot dry, poured in a little deer oil, and added a few lemon leaves as a spice to cut the gaminess of the deer fat.

As the iron pot heated up, the solidified deer oil melted into a clear liquid. The green lemon leaves released a fresh, citrusy fragrance.

Wei Shu quickly placed the fish in the pot. The hot oil sizzled and crackled, splattering. Wei Shu pulled her hands back to avoid the oil. She fried the fish until both sides were a crisp, golden brown, filling the air with the aroma of cooked fish. Only then did she stop.

After frying, Wei Shu left the fish to cool in the pot. At lunchtime, she could simply reheat it, and it would still be fresh and delicious.

Li Yuanxi watched every step Wei Shu took. She had to admit, Wei Shu had learned well. She felt a little proud. She had taught a pampered young lady how to make fish soup. She was pretty amazing.

“I need to go to the beach again. You stay here and rest.” Wei Shu sat on the edge of the bed and patted Li Yuanxi’s head. Li Yuanxi looked up at her, utterly confused as Wei Shu’s hand moved over her head.

Wei Shu ignored her bewildered expression, patted her hand, and walked away, her small backpack basket on her back.

“I feel like our roles have been reversed,” Li Yuanxi muttered, watching Wei Shu’s retreating figure leave the cave. “Is she feeling so guilty that she decided to be nice to me? It’s so out of character. Has the capitalist actually developed a conscience?”

Wei Shu walked alone down the mountain path, a wooden stick in her hand, heading toward the beach. She didn’t really have anything to do at the beach. She was just staying out of the cave because she didn’t know how to face Chuyi.

Her eyes grew dark, then cleared. She bit her lip and sighed, continuing her descent.

At least she could avoid the morning and give both of them time to recover. Their relationship had suddenly become complicated, something Wei Shu hadn’t anticipated.

The complexity was mostly on her side. Li Yuanxi, as usual, seemed to be adapting just fine.

The sun hung at an angle in the sky. Wei Shu was on the beach, clearing away the trash left behind by the tsunami. She sorted the trash and stacked it at the edge of the forest.

She pulled a piece of plastic sheeting out of the sand, rolled it up, and, with a great deal of effort, managed to haul it away.

She spent the whole morning at it, barely managing to clear the larger pieces of trash from the beach. She set aside anything that could be reused and picked up a few sturdy cans to take back for Li Yuanxi to use as cups.

Li Yuanxi was lying on her side. Her neck didn’t hurt as much now. She felt better, and her mood had improved. She looked forward to Wei Shu serving her hand and foot.

But she waited for four or five hours. Li Yuanxi went from lying on her stomach to lying on her side, and back to her stomach again. Finally, she sat by the mouth of the cave, staring expectantly at the path, waiting for Wei Shu to come home.

When Wei Shu finally arrived, climbing up the path, she saw a figure leaning against the cave entrance, a dazed expression on her face. It was like a big dog waiting for its master. Well, that wasn’t quite accurate. It was more like a child waiting for its parent to come home.

Wei Shu walked over to her. Li Yuanxi looked up at her, blinking in confusion. The look on her face made Wei Shu smile, and she couldn’t resist reaching out to pet her.

Wei Shu smiled and asked, “Why are you sitting here?” Li Yuanxi yawned lazily and came back to her senses. “I was waiting for you to come back and make dinner.”

In the past few hours, she had watched countless mental mini-movies. She had learned that too much free time was a bad thing. It made her feel lonely.

Wei Shu put the morning’s fish back into the iron pot on the stove, which had never gone out. She added more firewood, and the pot soon began to sizzle.

When the heat was just right, Wei Shu poured in half a bucket of boiling water. A burst of steam rose from the pot. The clear water turned a milky white. When it came to a boil again, the fish soup would become a thick, creamy white. A sprinkle of salt, and it would be a delicious, savory broth.

Li Yuanxi looked around the cave. She felt like it was missing something. She looked at the bed, the clothes rack, the stool, the door. Then she realized: they didn’t have a table.

Li Yuanxi rubbed her chin. She had never made a table. The shelf she had made was very simple, using a triangular support system. She had made a frame from vines and branches and placed a woven board on top to create a clothes rack.

If she used the same method for the table, it would just be a larger version of the clothes rack. That wouldn’t work.

Li Yuanxi decided to act on her idea. She planned to go out that afternoon and cut down some saplings about two fingers thick. She didn’t want a very long table. Seven or eight pieces of wood, each about two or three meters long, would be enough.

Then, she and Wei Shu wouldn’t have to worry about burning themselves while holding their bowls. And the cave was still so empty. Having more furniture would make it feel more like a home.

Wei Shu had no idea Li Yuanxi had already planned her afternoon. She finished cooking and turned around to call her to eat. It was then that Li Yuanxi noticed the weariness on Wei Shu’s face.

Li Yuanxi picked up a taro and handed it to Wei Shu. She took one for herself. They ate the taro and drank the soup together.

“I’ll stir-fry the taro leaves you brought back for dinner. Eat your fill at lunch, and eat less at dinner.” Seeing Li Yuanxi’s eyes on the taro leaves in the basket, Wei Shu explained.

After eating, Wei Shu felt exhausted. She was so tired she could barely lift her arms. Li Yuanxi helped her to bed, and she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

“I thought you could last the whole day.” Li Yuanxi covered her with a blanket, looking at the dark circles under Wei Shu’s eyes. The day after a heat period was for recovery. You needed rest.

Simply put, the heat, driven by a flood of dopamine, had consumed a huge amount of energy and strength. The excess hormones had pushed the body to its limits. After the heat passed, the person would feel completely drained and sluggish.

Li Yuanxi sat cross-legged beside Wei Shu, her eyes inadvertently fixed on her sleeping face. The longer she looked, the redder her own face became. For some reason, she just wanted to watch Wei Shu sleep.

Even the table she had planned to make was forgotten. Li Yuanxi leaned closer to look at Wei Shu’s face, her eyes fixed on it.

Her face was small and exquisitely beautiful. Her curled eyelashes, her straight nose, her pink, soft lips, and her black, gem-like eyes—every feature drew her in.

Eyes? Li Yuanxi’s brow shot up. She nearly jumped out of her skin. Damn! When did she wake up?!

Wei Shu was looking at Li Yuanxi, who was now very close. “What are you doing?” Her voice was tired. Who wouldn’t wake up with someone staring at them like that?

“Nothing. I was just… looking at you.” Li Yuanxi mumbled a vague explanation. Then she jumped up, pulled on her shoes, and ran.

“Slow down. Be careful of your wound.” Wei Shu yawned, telling her not to run too fast and tear the wound open.

“Oh, I know.” Li Yuanxi ran out hurriedly, afraid that Wei Shu would see how unsettled she was. Wei Shu was too tired to think about it. As soon as Li Yuanxi’s gaze was gone, she fell asleep.

When Li Yuanxi returned, Wei Shu was sleeping peacefully, curled up on her side, hugging the blanket, lying on Li Yuanxi’s pillow.

Seeing that she was asleep, Li Yuanxi tiptoed over. She sat on the edge of the bed, thought for a moment, then took off her shoes and climbed into bed. Her movements were fluid and natural, with none of the unease she had felt earlier that morning.

Li Yuanxi pulled the blanket up from under Wei Shu and covered herself. She looked at Wei Shu’s profile, breathing in her light, floral scent, and slowly closed her eyes.

At some point, Wei Shu ended up in Li Yuanxi’s arms again, both of them lying on their sides. Li Yuanxi’s arm was draped over Wei Shu’s waist. They slept together until the sun was almost down.

Wei Shu, fully rested, woke up first. When she sat up, she found herself curled up in Li Yuanxi’s arms again. She quietly tried to move Li Yuanxi’s arm, but Li Yuanxi just pulled her closer.

Wei Shu gave up. She lay in Li Yuanxi’s arms for a few minutes, slowly coming to her senses.

“Chuyi… wake up…” Wei Shu patted Li Yuanxi’s arm. Li Yuanxi opened her eyes, instinctively rubbing her face against the pillow. “What is it?” she asked, her voice hoarse.