Chapter 226: Resting on His Thigh

Chapter 226: Chapter 226: Resting on His Thigh

"Don’t be afraid. I’m right in front of you."

"Mm, okay."

Jin Yi didn’t say anything more and continued walking forward.

But after walking a little while longer, Bai Wanwan called out from behind him again.

Jin Yi’s voice reached her again, soothing her heart.

Bai Wanwan chuckled sheepishly. "I was just making sure you were there."

After speaking, she continued waving her hands, exploring the path forward.

Several times, she even touched Jin Yi’s back.

The hard muscles made her palm bounce back.

After this happened a few more times, just as Bai Wanwan was about to call out "Jin Yi" again, a pair of large, warm, dry hands took hold of hers.

"Let’s go."

With that, Bai Wanwan’s heart finally found an anchor, no longer like a lonely boat on a vast sea.

She knew that as long as she held onto him, she could follow him out of this dark place.

Afterward, they both fell silent. Only the warmth passing between their palms let them know they were not walking alone in the darkness, that another person was there, quietly accompanying them.

After a very long time, Bai Wanwan’s legs grew sore from walking. The surroundings remained unchanged—pitch-black, without a single speck of light.

"Jin Yi, how much longer do we have to walk?"

Jin Yi hesitated. If he were walking by himself, he could probably reach the end in half a day. But with a female, he estimated it would take at least two days.

Many parts of the cave were too narrow, making it inconvenient to carry a female on his back.

"Probably two days."

’Two days...’

’Fine.’

She gritted her teeth and decided to endure it.

’I have to be okay. I have to survive this in one piece.’

’Zhu Xiu, Xin Feng, Yan Lie... they have to be okay too!’

Bai Wanwan pushed on for a long distance. The path inside the cave was especially difficult to navigate.

It went up and down, and the ground was uneven and full of potholes. She twisted her ankle several times.

But the twists weren’t serious, just minor sprains, so she didn’t mention it and kept up with Jin Yi’s pace.

Eventually, she was running on pure willpower, her legs mechanically rising and falling.

The pain from the sprain was also becoming more and more obvious.

Jin Yi noticed her breathing was off and immediately stopped. "What’s wrong?"

Bai Wanwan was so tired her mouth was dry. "Nothing’s... wrong."

In the darkness, a male’s eyesight was much better than a female’s. He could vaguely see Bai Wanwan’s lovely brows furrow.

’She’s lying to me!’

"We still have a long way to go. If something’s wrong, you need to tell me right away..."

The pain in her ankle reminded Bai Wanwan that it really wasn’t a good idea to continue walking so intensely.

She hesitated for a moment. "Why don’t we... stop and rest for a bit?"

Jin Yi didn’t hesitate. "Okay. You can tell me directly if you’re not feeling well. There’s no need to rush. If we go a little slower, the beast tide might have completely subsided by the time we get out."

Bai Wanwan leaned against the wall and sat down, panting. "You’re right. It’s nothing serious, I’ve just been walking too long. My foot is a little sprained. I’ll be fine after a short break."

She was also very tired and thirsty.

She took out water and meat from her System Space, keeping a portion for herself and handing the rest to Jin Yi. "Let’s eat something to regain our strength while we rest."

Bai Wanwan knew Jin Yi was a fast eater, so she quickened her own pace as well.

She knew in her heart that the male before her was being polite to her because of the Clan Leader’s orders.

But that didn’t mean he had to constantly accommodate her. She didn’t want to become a burden and make him annoyed with her.

She had to get back alive. Her Beast Husbands were definitely waiting for her, safe and sound.

Jin Yi had just finished eating when he heard the female beside him say, "I’m done. I’m fine now. We can leave."

Jin Yi’s brows furrowed. For a male, the distance they had just covered was nothing, but for a female, it would surely have been exhausting.

Besides, she had just said her foot was sprained.

She had even deliberately sped up while eating.

’Is she that afraid of causing me trouble?’

Jin Yi pressed his lips together, his pair of golden eyes locking onto Bai Wanwan’s face in the darkness.

"I may not be your Beast Husband, but when it comes to a female... I do have this much patience."

Bai Wanwan, who had been about to stand up, paused.

She knew Jin Yi had seen through her, so she didn’t try to hide it. "I don’t want to cause you any more trouble."

Jin Yi looked at her. "You haven’t troubled me. You can kill a lynx by yourself and even provide me with food..."

’She’s walked for so long and even injured her leg, yet she hasn’t complained once.’

Since he had said that, Bai Wanwan sat back down, trying her best to relax her body, rest more, and conserve her energy.

After resting for about half an hour, Bai Wanwan’s leg was still sore, but she felt that much of her exhaustion had faded.

"Jin Yi, I’m okay now."

Jin Yi had been sitting quietly beside her, waiting without a single word of urging.

Bai Wanwan’s heart filled with gratitude for him.

She admitted that when she first heard the Golden Lion Young Clan Leader’s name from Zhuo Ling, she had thought he was just a sucker being manipulated by a female—someone who didn’t seem very bright.

But after interacting with him, she discovered that the real Jin Yi and the male she had first heard about from Zhuo Ling were two completely different males.

"Then let’s go..."

As he spoke, Jin Yi bent his long legs and squatted in front of her.

Bai Wanwan was about to take a step when her foot kicked his back. She quickly reached out to feel, but her hand touched his broad shoulders instead.

"Jin Yi?"

’Didn’t he say we were leaving?’ she wondered. ’Why is he still sitting here?’

"Your foot is hurt. Get on, I’ll carry you."

"It’s much better now that I’ve rested for a bit..."

Before she could finish, Jin Yi spoke again. "Get on. The sooner we get back to the tribe, the sooner we can relax. Once the beast tide retreats, I can also take some males to help you find your Beast Husbands..."

A warm body pressed against his back. Jin Yi stiffened, knowing his last sentence had done the trick.

He pushed off lightly and stood up from the ground.

The female was petite, so even in the narrow cave, carrying her on his back wouldn’t be a tight squeeze.

No longer needing to slow down to match the female’s pace, Jin Yi’s steps quickened considerably.

The jostling made Bai Wanwan drowsy, and eventually, she really did drift off to sleep.

When she woke up again, her eyes opened to darkness.

As consciousness returned, she remembered she had been on Jin Yi’s back, but the surface her palm was touching was hard and solid.

"Awake?"

Jin Yi’s figure was a short distance away to her side.

Hearing the familiar voice, Bai Wanwan breathed a sigh of relief.

She propped herself up on her arms and slowly sat up, just about to ask a question.

Jin Yi spoke first. "A little farther on is the mouth of an underground river, the one closest to the tribe. But the situation tonight is unclear, so I plan to rest for the night. We’ll head back to the tribe first thing tomorrow morning."

It was already dark outside, and he had a female with him. There was no need to take that risk.

"Okay. Are you hungry? I’ll give you the food."

Bai Wanwan handed him the food. She herself had no appetite.

She rolled over and closed her eyes again.

Jin Yi hadn’t expected that after exchanging just a few words with him, Bai Wanwan would simply roll over and go back to sleep.

Jin Yi, on the other hand, felt no sleepiness at all. Even if he were tired, he couldn’t sleep. He had to protect the female’s safety.

He leaned against the cave wall, quietly listening to the female’s soft breathing beside him, and sat like that until dawn.

When the first ray of morning sunlight streamed in, the female in the dim light mumbled something, rolled over, and draped her slender arm across his thigh...