Chapter 195: Ambush — Savage in the Dark
The chieftain fell silent, which counted as agreeing with Axi’s words. Still, like A-Shi, the look he gave Chuxue carried varying degrees of displeasure.
Nan Xun didn’t want to stir up resentment among the locals. She stepped forward, intending to pull Chuxue out from behind A-Yu. But before she could touch her, A-Yu instinctively took a step back, not letting Nan Xun reach Chuxue.
Nan Xun felt awkward—was she being mistaken for a scheming white lotus?
She’d only wanted to take Chuxue’s hand, then A-Yu’s, one in each, to show she genuinely blessed them.
But seeing A-Yu’s wary expression, she dropped the idea. This man was clearly love-at-first-sight with Chuxue. From what she remembered, A-Yu was responsible; Chuxue would at least be fed and clothed well with him.
Axi’s earlier words had already made it clear she wouldn’t choose any warrior, so the remaining two single warriors gave embarrassed smiles and withdrew.
The bonfire celebration continued. The three newly formed couples returned to their caves, and Chuxue was forcibly carried off by A-Yu.
Nan Xun understood at once—young couples heading off to their cave for the night.
“Sigh…” She let out a soft sigh and kept gnawing on the meat in her hands, listless.
Little Eight suddenly asked, “Why were you staring at that man’s ears just now? I think you’re really weird.”
Nan Xun lazily yawned. “I like men with thick earlobes, so I was checking if his were thick.”
Little Eight: “So? Were they?”
Nan Xun said a bit disappointedly, “So-so. Average.”
Little Eight whined, “You’re lying. I looked—they were thick! Are you hiding something from me? What were you really looking at?”
Nan Xun changed her tune instantly. “Fine, I was just seeing if his ears looked nice.”
Little Eight: “I don’t believe you.”
Nan Xun ignored it, sitting alone by the bonfire, eating meat and fruit. Her back looked a little lonely.
Little Eight instantly recovered and turned into a gossip beast, chattering nonstop: “Those two women over there say you’re pitiful, those two men say A-Yu has no taste, and that old woman over there says you’re a child people dote on…”
It gave Nan Xun a headache.
Maybe she’d eaten too many of those red fruits—her head felt woozy. She laughed and said goodbye to A-dad and A-brother, then staggered back to her stone cave alone.
A-Shi and the others were worried. Axi seemed really heartbroken—those words earlier were probably just bravado, right?
Nan Xun returned to her cave. She’d just lain down when she spotted a huge shadow lunging at her.
Startled, she scrambled up. Just as she was about to scream, the other party clamped a hand over her mouth.
The palm was as big as her face, carrying a bloody smell mixed with a faint grassy scent.
Outside, the firelight blazed, but once the cave curtain fell, the inside was pitch-black—she couldn’t see a thing.
Her heart pounded. Who was this man? Why attack her out of nowhere? Had some bold tribesman been tempted by her looks?
Little Eight suddenly piped up with inexplicable excitement: “Darling, it’s that savage from daytime! Don’t worry—there’s zero killing intent on him, absolutely none. I’m going to block the five senses now. Feels like something indescribable is about to happen, heehee…”
Nan Xun: “…Wait! Don’t go—lend me some knockout powder!”
Little Eight sounded oddly disappointed. “Huh? You really don’t want to do the deed? I checked—this savage has an amazing build and stamina. You wouldn’t lose out.”
Nan Xun: “Powder. Now. Then go sleep.”
The next second, a packet of powder appeared in Nan Xun’s right hand.
In the darkness, the man let out a low chuckle, his voice bewitching by her ear.
“You woman—you’re strong. You actually hung me from a tree. It took a lot of effort to break free. Tell me, how should I get my revenge, hm?”
Nan Xun muffled a couple of sounds.
Damn it—you’re covering my mouth, how am I supposed to talk?
The savage seemed to enjoy her muffled noises. His rough palm kept her mouth covered without any sign of letting go, while the other hand groped her hard—shameless to the extreme.
Nan Xun lifted her leg and kicked between his legs.
The savage immediately pinned her legs, grinning smugly. “Fighting me?”
She couldn’t beat him in strength. That move had only been to distract him. When the savage relaxed for a split second, she suddenly freed one hand and swiped at his face.
She’d meant it to be a clean hit—who knew this rogue had been prepared. With a light block of his hand, he held his breath, and all the powder… scattered right into Nan Xun’s face.
She choked once, and then… passed out.
Before losing consciousness, she definitely heard his rampant laughter, and the words “idiot.”
The next day, Nan Xun shot upright the moment she opened her eyes, quickly checking her body.
Aside from her animal-skin apron and chest wrap being a bit crooked, and some bluish bite marks in certain places, there was no real discomfort.
She let out a breath.
Hard to believe—that hooligan savage hadn’t actually done anything to her.
Little Eight was puzzled. “Why though? Why? We were supposed to be on vacation, and you didn’t even want free doorstep service. That wild man was dumb too—he left right after you passed out.”
Nan Xun: “…”
Little Eight’s disappointed tone made her want to smack a beast.
After tidying herself, Nan Xun sat in her cave in a daze for a while, then went to find the young woman, Chuxue.
The girl looked very downcast.
Nan Xun felt sympathetic. Suddenly transported to the primitive age and then “done” by a rough savage—most people would have trouble accepting that.
She walked over and gave Chuxue a big hug, silently comforting her.
Chuxue clung to her and cried, speaking in Mandarin: “That savage—he… he did that to me… I want to go home. I don’t want to stay here…”
The tribespeople thought Axi would surely harbor resentment toward the outsider woman—after all, she’d taken the man who should have been hers. But in the days that followed, Axi acted remarkably generous, even teaching the woman their native tongue.
They got along well. Though the others initially rejected the woman named Chuxue, Axi mediated. And after Chuxue discovered several new foods, she gradually earned everyone’s approval.
Inside the stone cave, Nan Xun was teaching Chuxue the native language, laughter ringing out from time to time.
Women passing by couldn’t help gossiping.
Native Woman A: “Axi’s being so nice to Chuxue—does she still have feelings for A-Yu? Trying to get Chuxue to agree to let her be his second wife?”
Native Woman B: “Axi isn’t the type to be a second wife. She probably genuinely likes Chuxue. And Chuxue’s impressive—she found lots of food, edible wild grasses, and those roots called sweet potatoes. They taste pretty good. No wonder A-Yu fell for her.”
Native Woman A: “Right, she can also weave straw sandals and sew all kinds of strange clothes with animal hides.”
Native Woman C: “Enough. Both Axi and Chuxue are good.”
Inside the cave, the scene was quite different. The Nan Xun whom others thought was currying favor sat with one leg crossed, munching fruit while testing her “student.”
“Chuxue, how do you say ‘sleep’ in the native language? And clouds, the sun, river water…”
Chuxue squatted on the ground with a big fruit balanced on her head, answering obediently.
