Yan Yu’an looked at the leg of lamb that had been bitten into and said awkwardly: “Don’t you think we’re a bit too ambiguous?”
“What does that mean?” Xie Ji looked at him in confusion. “Why aren’t you eating?”
In Xie Ji’s understanding, eating the same food wasn’t a big deal, and as the chief, it was only right that he took the first bite—otherwise, wouldn’t he lose all chiefly dignity?
Yan Yu’an knew there was no way out of eating this roast leg of lamb. He shook his head—sharing food with a grown man was a first for him.
He took the leg of lamb and bit down hard, and the juices of the meat burst open in his mouth at once.
“Thank you.” Yan Yu’an smiled at him.
Xie Ji: “…” He swallowed, and turned his head away somewhat unnaturally.
“Chief!” The tribesman Xie Ji had sent out earlier came running back, holding some clean round discs made of stone.
Yan Yu’an smiled in satisfaction, then placed the leg of lamb on the round disc. “Look—from now on, cooked food can be put on this, and that way when you carry it over, it won’t burn your hands.”
Xie Ji had always thought he was the smartest lion in the forest—he never expected to meet a Yan Yu’an smarter than himself.
“Calling you a stupid fox before—count that as me misunderstanding you.” Xie Ji crossed his arms and said with a curl of his lip. “From now on, you’re the second smartest animal in this forest.”
Yan Yu’an grinned. “Then who’s the smartest animal?” He paused and looked at the embarrassed, angry Xie Ji. “So it’s you, little lion.”
Xie Ji pressed his lips together, anger gradually rising in his blue eyes. He gave a huff and lashed the tail drooping behind him with all his strength.
He didn’t eat the roast mutton and instead turned and left. Yan Yu’an held the mutton and jogged after Xie Ji.
“Little lion, are you angry?” Yan Yu’an followed him closely back into the house.
Xie Ji glanced at him and didn’t say a word.
Yan Yu’an shrugged, looking a little helpless. But he also knew that to survive here, pleasing Xie Ji was absolutely necessary. So he put on a bold face and leaned in again. “I was wrong, little lion. Don’t be angry. How about this—you said before, let me find a way to make you happy.”
“I hate you.” Xie Ji pressed his lips together and glared at him fiercely. His eyes darted around, and he suddenly said, “Then tell me where you came from.”
Actually, Xie Ji had long wanted to know where he came from. Very few people tried to sneak into the lion tribe’s territory without anyone noticing—apart from the herbivores deliberately let in, only those two annoying guys were left. But Yan Yu’an shouldn’t have been sent by those two.
In Xie Ji’s heart, good looks were justice. Yan Yu’an was so pretty—there was absolutely no way he would help those two disgusting guys.
As he thought this, he saw Yan Yu’an sneeze.
And besides, he always felt Yan Yu’an was impossibly smart…
Yan Yu’an sighed. He didn’t know how to explain it to Xie Ji, so he could only say: “I was brought back by you the moment I woke up. I don’t know why I appeared here either.” He rubbed his nose, his tone slightly ingratiating. “But luckily you brought me back—otherwise I definitely couldn’t have survived on my own until today.”
Sure enough, the tail behind Xie Ji perked up again.
“Fine.” Xie Ji shrugged, not planning to ask Yan Yu’an about this any further. “I forgive you.”
Yan Yu’an smiled at him ingratiatingly, the mole at the corner of his eye looking especially striking. He heard Xie Ji say in a slightly threatening tone: “You’re the one I brought back. If you dare betray me, I’ll definitely bite you to pieces.”
Yan Yu’an nodded hurriedly.
On the other side of the forest was a place where even sunlight was unwilling to linger. It was overgrown with lush, dense trees. A giant blue-black python slowly crawled across the grass. Its body was covered in a thin layer of scales that gave off a faint gleam in the dim, damp forest.
The python’s gaze was fixed dead on a small tiger cub that had strayed into his territory. He watched the cub step by step walk into his hunting range.
Suddenly, he coiled tightly around the little tiger cub, twisting his body again and again. The cub gradually lost its strength, and then he opened his mouth wide and swallowed the cub in one gulp.
The night was deep. Xie Ji’s soft breathing reached Yan Yu’an’s ears. He couldn’t sleep and wanted to go out for a walk, but before he could get up, a hand wrapped around him.
“Where are you going?” Xie Ji’s voice was sticky and sleepy.
Yan Yu’an shivered all over. Spring nights were still a little cold, but the man’s arm was very hot—so hot that Yan Yu’an could barely stand it. His voice trembled slightly: “I want to go out for a walk.”
Xie Ji rested his head on him and licked Yan Yu’an’s neck, making Yan Yu’an shrink back involuntarily.
“I’ll go with you. I was just going to patrol the territory anyway.” Xie Ji yawned and stood up.
Though winter had already passed, the nights were still very cold. Yan Yu’an couldn’t help shivering. He rubbed his arms and turned to look at Xie Ji, his eyes full of confusion. “Aren’t you cold without a shirt?”
“Cold?” Xie Ji smiled. “The coldest time has already passed. Last winter, who knows how many beastmen in this forest froze to death.”
Yan Yu’an lowered his eyes and walked along with Xie Ji. “Have you never thought about adding more clothes?”
“I’ve thought about it, but…” Xie Ji sighed, a little helpless. “There’s simply no way to make clothes that keep out the cold.”
Stars decorated the sky—something Yan Yu’an had never seen in the apocalypse. He looked up at the stars. He knew Xie Ji was a very good chief. His voice was very soft but exceptionally firm: “Xie Ji, I will make clothes that keep out the cold.”
Xie Ji smiled, taking it as a joke. He nodded. “Alright.”
Yan Yu’an knew Xie Ji didn’t believe he could make cold-resistant clothes—so what? Time would prove everything.
“It’s late. Go back and rest.” Xie Ji said softly. “I want to patrol once more.”
Yan Yu’an stood beside him and gave Xie Ji a deep look. “Alright.” He paused, then continued, “Come back early. I’ll wait for you.”
He turned and left. Xie Ji continued walking, watching Yan Yu’an’s retreating figure. He didn’t tell him that from the very first time he saw him, he’d felt Yan Yu’an carried an indescribable familiarity.
…
The next day, Yan Yu’an said to Xie Ji: “I’m going to research warm clothes.” As he spoke, the corner of his mouth curved into a smile. “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely succeed. For the next few days, don’t let anyone disturb me.”
Xie Ji raised an eyebrow. He lowered his head and looked Yan Yu’an over carefully, then lifted his hand and cradled Yan Yu’an’s face, his tongue licking across his cheek. “Go. I… we’ll wait for you.”
Yan Yu’an trembled all over. The lion’s tongue was covered in tiny barbs—not painful, but ticklish. He pressed his lips together and quickly nodded, then turned and headed toward Xie Ji’s side room. Xie Ji rarely came here; even the stone table was covered in a thin layer of dust.
Xie Ji watched Yan Yu’an’s back as he entered the room and couldn’t help sighing. Actually, he’d thought of many ways before to make clothes warmer, but all of them had failed. Though every winter they had to travel to the warmer south, no one wanted to experience that feeling of cold.
For three days straight, apart from when Yan Yu’an came out to eat, Xie Ji didn’t see him.
That day, Yan Yu’an was threading fine thread through a stone needle he’d spent a long time grinding. He’d noticed that day that there was plenty of sugarcane by the lake—sugarcane juice could be used to extract sugar, and the sugarcane residue could be made into fine thread. Though it was a little rough, it was better than nothing.
If only there were cotton or silk… Yan Yu’an thought.
But just then, a clamor came from outside. Yan Yu’an felt something was off.
After he’d told Xie Ji not to let anyone disturb him that day, the tribe had been quiet for several days. During that time, if anyone so much as spoke loudly, Xie Ji would criticize them harshly. But now…
Yan Yu’an didn’t know why, but his heart was beating very fast—so fast he could hear the thumping.
He quickly stood up and hurried out of the side room.
From a distance, he saw Xie Ji being carried on a man’s back.
Yan Yu’an was startled, a bead of cold sweat sliding down his forehead. He hurried over. “What happened to Xie Ji?”
The tribespeople were all in an uproar. Yan Yu’an couldn’t make out what they were saying—he only saw black blood flowing from Xie Ji’s arm, and there were some minor scrapes on his body as well.
Yan Yu’an froze for a second, his brows knitting slightly, then he quickly said: “Put him down first. Lay him flat.”
The tribespeople froze. They didn’t know whether they should trust what Yan Yu’an said. Though Yan Yu’an had brought them fire and taught them to use plates, Yan Yu’an was only a cub—and this concerned their chief’s life. They hesitated.
Yan Yu’an gritted his teeth and swept his gaze over the others, his eyes finally settling on Jiang Rong.
“I’m sorry…” I can’t gamble with the chief’s life.
Jiang Rong took a step back. Yan Yu’an understood he couldn’t count on him.
He stared at Xie Ji. “Take him to the bed first. He’s probably been bitten by a snake. Then go prepare clean water—remember, it must be boiled over fire.”
“Listen to Yan Yu’an.” Xie Ji was panting heavily, his voice very small, but loud enough for them to hear. As soon as he finished speaking, he passed out completely.
The tribespeople had no choice but to do as Yan Yu’an said.
A drop of sweat slid down Yan Yu’an’s forehead. He didn’t understand—wasn’t Xie Ji a mutant? How could he be hurt this badly?
He looked at the blackened wound on Xie Ji’s body, his heart pounding with fright. He hurried to the side room to fetch the thread. The one thing to be thankful for was that he hadn’t yet twisted the thread very fine.
He tied the thread tightly above the wound and said to the people standing nearby: “I need something that can cut open flesh.” He paused. “What about the hot water? Is the hot water ready?”
While he was speaking, one person had already brought the hot water over, and another had taken out the stone they usually used to cut food.
Yan Yu’an first slashed his own hand with the stone. Seeing fresh blood flow out and confirming it could cut through flesh, he soaked it in the water.
After a while, he said quietly: “It might hurt a bit. Bear with it.”
He gritted his teeth and slashed the stone hard across Xie Ji’s wound.
He saw Xie Ji’s brows knit tightly together, many beads of sweat hanging on his forehead, and his heart panicked a little.
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